


Beautiful Trauma

by TRCelyne



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, I'll add other tags as the story comes up I guess, road trip au, shameless flirting, there will be smut in like a thousand years but it's planned
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-08
Updated: 2019-02-05
Packaged: 2019-03-02 11:26:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 23,147
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13317105
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TRCelyne/pseuds/TRCelyne
Summary: Walking along a road in the middle of the Plegian desert, Lon'qu has no other choice than get in this complete and weird stranger girl's - Robin's - car to reach the closest city to have a chance to take his bus to Ylisse.But the brighter the light of the sun is, the darker the shadow. Or so they say. The Plegian desert is home to a lot of secrets.





	1. Chapter 1

« The bus isn’t coming anymore. »

« What do you mean it’s not coming anymore? »

 

 The large man lifted an eyebrow and put down the glass he was wiping to point at the worn out bus timetable in Lon’qu’s hand.

 

“Your paper is a few years old, dude. There weren’t enough people using the town’s bus stop, so they didn’t bother sending one here anymore. We all use cars here.”

 

            Town was probably an exaggeration. It looked more like four houses on each side of the road with a bar as the only way to socialize. In the middle of nowhere. Nowhere being the hot Plegian desert. He sighed and put the paper away in his back pocket, before arranging his backpack on his shoulder.

 

“How far is the nearest city?” He asked.

“To catch a bus? Something like fifteen miles, I’d say.” The barman answered, scratching his auburn moustache.

 

            Lon’qu grumbled and opened a new tab on his phone. Screw Plegians and their weird counting system. He quickly converted the distance and pinched his lips. Twenty five kilometres. With an average speed of 3km/h, he’d need around eight hours to reach it. It was still summer, he had time until the night fell.

 

“Do you sell water bottles?” He said, lifting his head to the man.

“Yup, there’s a vending machine over there.” He replied, pointing at a red one at the end of the bar.

“Thanks.”

 

            Lon’qu walked to the machine and inserted his coins in it, listening to the clicking sound they made as they fell inside. He bought two fresh bottles and put them in his bag, before heading out with a last thank you to the barman.

            Once outside, he winced and took the sunglasses hanging on the collar of his tank top to put them on. He wondered if the sun in Plegia was the same that the one he used to see back in regna Ferox. Because right know, he felt like it wasn’t at all. It was like hell gathered in a giant burning orb. He checked his phone. 1.23PM. If he walked fast, he could be on time. He’d just have to find somewhere to crash for the night before taking the first morning bus. He arranged his bag on his back, ignoring the sweat sticking his clothes to his skin.

 

\--

 

            The music skipped a few notes and she gave a couple of thumps with the heel of her hand on the old radio, until the song started playing normally again. She groaned loudly. It had just ruined her groove. She really liked that song and now she had to start it from the beginning again. Before Robin could press her finger on the skip button, she noticed a black silhouette on the side of the road. She squinted her eyes and focused on it as she slowed down her car. What was a person doing in the middle of nowhere? She didn’t recall having seen a car or a bike recently, so it couldn’t be someone looking for gas. The last town – or something that only had the name of a town, with its four houses on each side of the road and a bar – she had passed was miles away already. She slowed even more, until she could see the man – apparently it was a man – from the passenger window. He stopped walking and raised an eyebrow at her. His eyes were hidden under black sunglasses.

 

“What are y-“ she grunted upon realising he could not hear her because of the closed window. She was too far to bend and turn the goddamn handle. She opened her door and got out, resting her feet on the edge of car. “What are you doing alone here?”

 

He lifted an eyebrow at her again but did not answer. She waited for him to say something, leaning an arm on the roof of the car and moving it away the following second with a curse. The metal was burning. She noticed he had Chon’sinese features and lifted an eyebrow. He did not look like a tourist. Tourists didn’t even bother visiting the vast Plegian desert, they preferred sticking to the coast.

 

“What are you doing here?” She repeated, in Chon’sinese this time. She hoped her accent wasn’t too terrible.

“I understood you the first time.” The man replied in Plegian.

“And you didn’t answer.” She said, keeping balance by putting her hand on her door.

“What does it have to do with you?”

“I could give you a ride. Where are you going?”

“I’ll be fine.” He mumbled, and started walking again.

“Dude, you’re miles away from the nearest city! You’re only going to get a heatstroke if you keep on walking under the sun like that!” She shouted as he walked away.

“I’ve got water.” He stated without turning back.

“I’m the only person you’ll cross paths with this afternoon, so if I’m gone and you change your mind, it’ll be too late!”

 

He waved at her, not bothering looking back at her. She put her hands around her mouth.

 

“I’ve got air conditioning!”

 

He stopped right in his tracks.

 

\--

 

            Lon’qu inclined the fans of his side of the car to his face. The air conditioning was barely working, but he didn’t complain about it. It was better than the heavy heat outside. The girl tapped on the radio, putting the music on. The song that started sounded like an old tune, until soft piano notes took over a few seconds later.

 

_We were on fire_

_I slashed your tires_

_It's like we burned so bright we burn out_

_I made you chase me_

_I wasn't that friendly_

_My love, my drug, we're fucked up, oh_

            She whispered along the song, until the rest of the verse started. She started singing along, nodding in rhythm with the tune. Her voice wasn’t that bad, but it wasn’t good either. Not good enough to listen to her for hours. She had to realise she wasn’t alone in that car anymore, and quickly.

 

 _'Cause I've been on the run so long they can't find me_  
_You're waking up to remember I'm pretty_  
_And when the chemicals leave my body_  
_Yeah, they're gonna find me in a hotel lobby 'cause_

She started gesturing as if she was making attempts at dancing, although her hands remained on the wheel. It was like she thought she was on stage singing the song live.

 

“Mmmh~ tough! Times they keep coming! All night! Laughing and fucking! Some days like I'm barely breathing! After we were high and the love dope died” she turned to him, putting a hand on her heart, as if she was talking to him “it was you~!”

 

            Lon’qu discreetly moved towards his window. This girl was crazy, and above all about to invade his living space. Couldn’t she focus on the road instead? She lowered the sound and rearranged her orange tinted sunglasses on her nose with a smile.

 

“My name’s Robin.” She stated.

“Lon’qu.” He replied flatly.

“Where are you going? My love, my love, my drug, oh~” She resumed singing, a bit lower this time.

“You can drop me at the next city. I’ll take the bus from there.”

“I don’t have any destination, you know? How about I directly drop you at the place you’re headed to? I’m not in a rush, I have all the time in the world.”

He looked curiously at her. How could she not have any destination? One didn’t go on a road trip through the desert without destination. “Ylisse.” He answered nonetheless.

She let out a whistle “And you wanted to go there on foot? You’d have arrived next decade if you did!”

“I told you I wanted to take the bus.” He commented.

“Blah!” She blurted, waving a hand in the air “Buses are super expensive in Plegia. Especially the ones going through the desert. Plus there aren’t a lot of them. You’d rather stick with me.”

 

Well, no. He preferred selling his soul than going to the Ylissean frontier with her. That woman looked like the type of girl who spoke too loud and too often and invaded people’s privacy without a second thought. She caught the hair tie on her right wrist with her teeth and pulled it out, and let go of the steering wheel for a couple of seconds to gather the hair in her neck and tie it in a rat tail. It didn’t look like it was useful, since the rest of her brown hair was too short to fit in. She grunted as she placed her hands on the wheel again.

 

“Gods, I forgot I just cut my hair, I’m not used to it.” She pointed at her messy strands “It’s too short to fit in the ponytail anymore.” She explained.

 

Yeah, he had noticed that. He rested his chin on his hand, looking outside and ignoring her.

 

 _'Cause we've been on the run so long they can't find us_  
_Who's gonna have to die to remind us_  
_That it feels like we chose this blindly_  
_Now I'm gonna fuck up a hotel lobby 'cause_

_These tough times they keep coming_  
_Last night I might have messed it up again_  
_Some days like I'm barely breathing_  
_After we were high and the love dope died_

_It was you_

 

“It’d be fun if that song was about us.” Robin said out of the blue.

“What?” He blurted out without realising. What was she saying?

“Dunno, could be fun.” She shrugged “Two lonely people, escaping the whole world by crossing one of the most arid deserts on Earth and listening to the only CD they have in their wreck of a car. Keeping dramatic secrets and falling in love with each other madly. Doesn’t that sound like a great plan?”

“No.” He frowned.

“You’re not funny” she pouted.

 

Gods, he wanted to get out of that car. The burning sun outside reminded him why he had chosen to get in in the first place. With a bit of luck they’d reach the city soon and he’d convince her to let him go.

 

“You said you had only one CD?” He asked. He didn’t even know why he was trying to converse with her.

“Yeah, I bought P!nk’s newest album the morning I got the car, and since I left directly after, I don’t have another one” She shrugged “I don’t mind, I’ve been listening to it on loop for the past twenty four hours, I already know most of the songs by heart.” She looked at him, but he could barely make out the shape of her eyes through her sunglasses. He was mostly seeing the reflection of his own perplexed expression “Still not in for eloping with me? I’m a good kisser, I swear.”

 

Gods, why didn’t he keep his mouth shut.

 

“Can’t you focus on the road instead, please?” He mumbled. He felt his cheeks burning.

 

All of a sudden, she grabbed his sunglasses and took them off. He gasped in surprise and tried to get them back, but she held them away from him with a smirk.

 

“What are you doing?!” He yelled.

“Checking you out.” She said, still looking at him. Gods, not knowing where she was exactly looking was bothering him a lot. “Yup, you’re handsome. I’ve never been with a Chon’sinese before. I got a question though. Is it true that you Chon’sinese guys have smaller pen-“

“Robin, please stop.” He frowned.

 

            He saw one of her eyebrows raise, and she chuckled as she handed him the glasses back. Her chuckle soon turned into a wholehearted laugh. Her voice was clear, almost covering the new song that had started playing. At least her laugh was better than her singing. She lifted her sunglasses to her hair and smiled brightly at him. She had sparkling chocolate eyes, full of life. He pinched his lips. Okay, she was beautiful. But that was not a reason to forget the fact she was completely crazy.

 

“You’re strange.” Lon’qu said, putting his sunglasses back on.

“Am I?” She replied, tapping hers so they fell back on her nose and focusing back on the road.

“What kind of girl suggests eloping to a perfect stranger?”

“Oh, so your self-esteem is that high?” She teased.

 

Lon’qu groaned. He wondered why he even bothered trying to have a normal conversation with her.

 

“You don’t look like a serial rapist on the run.” She said with a serious tone.

“How would you know?”

“Because I know how to recognise them.” There was a second of silence “I’m curious about how you ended up walking on that road though.”

“I thought there was a bus in the last town, but the line has been closed apparently.”

“But why do you have to go through the Plegian desert to go to Ylisse when you could’ve taken the plane instead?” She asked.

“I have my reasons.” He replied, looking out of the window again.

“Oooh, Mister likes keeping a bit of mystery. Me likey.” She giggled.

 

Lon’qu rolled his eyes. That girl sure was something.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello I have no self-control and I started another fic instead of working <3  
>  I love Pink's newest album, Beautiful Trauma, and the idea of this popped up while listening to the song this morning. So here I am. I might not post a new chapter right away, because I'd really like to plan things up in advance this time, unlike my ideas for The Drift and Swallowtails in Your Stomach that are - I have to admit it - quite random. Also, the rating might be subject to changes, depending on how things turn out.
> 
> Here's the song! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41taYOq1kVY


	2. Chapter 2

            Lon’qu barely held back a sigh of relief when Robin _finally_ managed to park her car in an empty street of the city. He had not even bothered remembering its name. He just wanted to get out of there, and quick. The young woman lifted her sunglasses, stretched with a small sound - arching her back in the process - then let her arms fall to her sides with a loud sigh of relief. She undid her seatbelt and raised her hips to look for something in the front pocket of her jeans short, her tongue sticking out of her mouth in concentration. Given how she slipped her fingers in that pocket, it must not have been really big. He remembered his sister complaining about women’s pants’ fake pockets, and how men’s pants were way more comfortable. She had stolen the old jeans he didn’t use anymore more than once. Robin’s grimace turned into a happy smile when she finally managed to pull a few bills out of her pocket.

 

“Ha! There you are!” She chirped in victory as she held them in front of her face.

“Anyway…” Lon’qu started, scratching his neck “I’ll get going, thanks for the ride.”

“Wait wait wait!” She stopped him, joining her hands as if she was praying to him, her money stuck between her fingers “I’ve got some stuff to buy, do you mind keeping an eye on the car for a moment? I won’t be long. I’ll drop you at the bus station afterwards.”

 

He frowned, hesitating, and she leaned closer with puppy eyes.

 

“Pleeease?” She said, her eyelashes fluttering.

“…Fine.” It’s not like he had the choice anyway “Be quick.”

“Thanks!!”

 

She jumped out of the car and disappeared at the corner of the street without turning back.

 

\--

 

            Gods, he shouldn’t have given in. The sun had started to set already. Lon’qu checked his phone. She had been gone for two hours and forty minutes, and she had made no sign of coming back. He couldn’t even leave the car on spot; she had left the keys on the ignition. Robin might have been a weird girl, she did not deserve her car being stolen. Well, to be fairly honest, even a robber wouldn’t want such a wreck. He didn’t even know how that car was still running without shattering to pieces. It would probably be impounded at this rate if he weren’t inside. It was a piece of junk badly parallel parked, one of its wheels on the sidewalk, with no electric windows, a miracle of an air conditioning and a strong smell of old leather. And only one CD playing on loop. He had tried to turn the radio on, but the constant screeching quickly proved that he was stuck with P!nk for a while. Not that he really complained about it. Olivia had all her albums, and he had grown up listening to them on a regular basis. It’s just that he wouldn’t have minded a bit of variety. He had turned the music off for a while, but the lonely sound of slashing that came out from his phone has he tried to set a new record on Fruit Ninja was maddening, so he had turned the radio back on with the lowest sound possible. Lon’qu sighed absentmindedly and locked his phone. He inclined his seat backwards and crossed his arms behind his head. He probably had time before the last bus, or so he hoped. At least he was not in the middle of nowhere anymore. Or at least, less in the middle of nowhere.

            The driver’s door suddenly opening made him jump in surprise with a small yelp. Robin snorted loudly as she sat behind the wheel, with half a dozen of bags hanging from her arms.

 

“Gods, I didn’t think you’d squeal like a little girl!”

“Where the hell were you?” He frowned, ignoring her remark.

“I needed some stuff and I got carried away” she admitted.

 

            She threw some of her bags on the backseat, one of them falling open as it landed on the worn out leather. He was sure that was a black dress in it. She kept two, and opened one of them to hand him a sandwich.

 

“There you go.” She stated, taking another one for her “I didn’t know what you liked so I went for the basic ham sandwich. Thought you’d be hungry.”

“…Thanks.” He mumbled, taking it cautiously.

“I got figs too, I hope you like them.” Robin added, slouching on her seat and resting her knees against the wheel with a sigh “Gods, all this shopping has worn me out.”

“Why did you buy so much?” He asked, biting into his food.

“Unexpected road trip.” She shrugged, her mouth full.

He frowned “On your own, I hope?”

“Relax, darling, I promised I’d drop you at the bus station. Just let me eat first.” She took another bite “I’ll keep on wandering around for a while, so I thought I’d better buy essential products now before I head for the deeper parts of the desert.”

“…Why so?”

“What? That road trip?” She turned to him, folding the hood of her black and purple sleeveless jacket back on her shoulders “Mmh… Let’s say it’s an initiatory trip.”

 

Lon’qu lifted an eyebrow but didn’t comment on it. After all, he had nothing to do with her and she was free to do whatever she wanted. They ate in silence, and she held the bag out to him once he was done with his sandwich, still holding her own in her other hand.

 

“Try some. Plegian figs are the best” she said.

 

He took the bag from her hands and picked one, before looking for a pocket knife in his bag at his feet. He sliced the fruit in two and started eating it.

 

“They’re smaller than the usual. And more sugary.” He noted as he chewed.

“That’s because there isn’t enough water here. They’re not like the Ylissean ones that are waterlogged and lose their taste.” She finished her sandwich and patted her stomach with a sigh of relief “Gods, I was starving! Could you be a sweetie and cut me a fig, please?”

 

            He handed her his other slice and she thanked him. He glanced at the second bag, stuck between her leg and the door. She had not opened it yet. Robin sat up and turned the volume of the music up.

 

“So you’ve kept on listening to it.” He didn’t know if it was a question or an affirmation.

“The radio doesn’t work, it’s not like I had a lot of choice.”

“Indeed!” She snorted.

\--

 

            Lon’qu’s shoulders dropped as he let out a loud grunt. The last member of the staff was closing the shutters of the reception of the bus station. He quickly walked to the man as he put away his keys.

 

“Sorry Sir, the last bus of the day is gone.” The man stated as he walked away.

 

            Lon’qu turned around and climbed down the few stairs back to Robin’s car. The young woman was leaning against the back door, a lit cigarette in her hand. She raised an eyebrow at him when she saw him coming back. An amused smile stretched her lips.

 

“No bus?” She asked.

“No.” He grunted, letting his bag fall on the sidewalk unceremoniously as he sat on the stairs, resting his head in his hands.

 

            Robin took a last puff of her cigarette before putting it out and back in the box, then threw it on her seat through the open window. She walked to him and stood in front of him, her hands on her hips. He could barely see her worn out white Converse shoes, with unmatching shoelaces. Of course they were unmatching. It did not even surprise him.

 

“Let’s find someplace to crash for the night.” She said calmly.

“I’ll be fine.” He replied.

“Dude, I need someplace to stay as well. If you’re there we could split up the bill of a hotel room.”

 

He pouted pensively. She was not wrong.

 

“Alright.” He sighed, standing up and grabbing the sling of his bag “Let’s get moving.”

 

\--

 

“Can you explain to me why we had to leave the city?” Lon’zu hissed, on the verge of losing his temper.

“Because I don’t like cities.” Robin replied calmly “I prefer sleeping in motels.” She smirked “Plus, I drive the car, so I’m the boss.” She looked at him and rolled her eyes “C’mon, don’t give me that patronizing look! It’s not like I was kidnapping you! The motel is five miles from there!”

“Yeah.” He mumbled, looking away. The sun had disappeared from the horizon and the night had started falling.

 

            They reached the motel a few minutes later. Robin searched through the last bag and pulled out a pair of brown fingerless gloves that she put on, before getting out of the car followed by Lon’qu. She locked the doors and both of them walked to the entrance in silence.

            The greenish light of the front desk made him squint his eyes. He hated these kind of lights. They did anything but light the room. Robin walked to the desk and leaned her arms on it, absentmindedly tapping the tip of her foot on the ground.

 

“Good evening, Miss.” The receptionist said without looking at her.

“Good evening. Do you have by chance a twin room available?” She said with an unctuous voice.

“Sure,” the man replied, finally looking at her “How many nights?”

“Let’s say one for now.” Lon’qu grunted and she turned around “What? Dropping you off tomorrow doesn’t mean I can’t stay a couple of nights more.”

“Right.” He grumbled.

“Gods, you’re such a grumpy grandpa!” She complained.

“Could I have a name for the bill?” The receptionist asked.

“Ah, sure. Lon’qu!” She turned around again, gesturing at him “C’mere! I need your name for the reservation.”

“Why don’t you just use yours?” He asked, walking closer nonetheless.

“I drive the car, I’m the boss.” Robin declared, pointing at the computer screen “Hurry up, I’d like to go to sleep asap.”

He rolled his eyes “Lon’qu Artemiev.”

 

            He spelled his name to the man, and he gave him the key to their room. Robin blurted a thank you to the receptionist and followed him outside. While she parked the car in front of the right room, he opened their door and walked in, switching the light on. There were two single beds on the right side, with a bedside table between them. There was a TV on the left wall, and a door at the end of the room gave on a bathroom.

 

“Dibs on the shower!!” Robin shouted as she threw her bags on the bed the closest to the bathroom and locked herself inside.

 

            Lon’qu sighed and set his bag at the feet of the other bed, and closed the curtains of the only window of the room. He heard the shower running and a loud sound that was somewhere between a groan and a moan came out of the bathroom. He rolled his eyes and searched through his bag for his charger, plugged his phone, and set the device on the bedside table.

 

\--

 

            Robin came out of the bathroom with a sigh, rubbing a towel on her hair in a vague attempt to dry it, another one wrapped around her body. The TV was on, flashing random music videos, mostly the summer’s party songs. She made a face; most of the recent clubbing songs sounded dull to her.

            She looked around. Lon’qu was nowhere to be seen. His navy blue short-sleeved shirt was neatly folded on his bed. She walked around the room and noticed him lying on the ground between the bed and the window, doing sit-ups. She nodded to herself in appreciation, although the icing on the cake would have been him doing it without his black tank top as well. She walked to him and stopped a step above his head as he lied back down. She bent down and smiled at him.

 

“My my, working out in my sight?” She teased.

He screamed and sat up in a single move, making her wince in pain “What the hell Robin?!?! Can’t you put clothes on?!?!”

“Gods, no need to scream like I scared the shit out of you.” She complained, rubbing her temples with a grimace.

“Because you did! Go get dressed!”

“…Wait.” She bent over his shoulder, smirking “Holy shit, you’re all red, Lon’qu. Can’t handle the sight of a lady in her birthday suit?”

“Just go away.” He groaned, bringing his knees to his chest and hiding his face in them.

 

            Robin let out an amused “pff!” and walked back to her bed to pick up her clothes. He was like a flustered teenager who had never seen a girl before. It was slightly frustrating though, if she had to be honest with herself. He had such a nice body it was a shame he did not take advantage of it. If he wanted to, he probably could have any girl he wanted. After a couple of seconds, she shrugged. Well, it was his problem after all. She searched through her paper bags and pulled out a set of panties and a strap top, then tried to remove the price tags.

 

Lon’qu observed her from the corner of the eye discreetly. He noticed she was struggling with the plastic threads, chewing them in hope to tear them in two. The corner of his lips twitched in an attempt at smiling, and he lied back down to rummage in his bag. He stood up with a tired grunt and walked to her, although staying at a more-than-respectable distance. He held the pocket knife out to her.

 

“Take this. It’ll be easier.” He mumbled, looking at the ugly lamp on the bedside table.

“Oh… Thanks.” She replied, taking it from his hands and flipping it open. She started cutting the threads.

He cleared his throat “Are you done with the bathroom?”

“Yeah, go ahead.”

 

Once he took clean clothes from his bag and closed the bathroom door, she put her makeshift pyjamas on and lied down on her bed with a loud sigh. What an exhausting day.

 

\--

 

            Lon’qu had been expecting Robin to be fast asleep when he got out of the bathroom. But she was, actually, far from sleeping. She was sitting cross-legged on her bed, looking at the TV with shining eyes, slicing and eating the rest of the figs she had bought at the same time. The paper bags were all folded in one by the door of the room, ready to be thrown out. All its contents had been put away in a pink shoulder bag at the feet of her bed, whose strap was rainbow colored. He glanced at the screen, wondering what could have got her attention. She cut him the very second he opened his mouth to speak.

 

“Shh!!” She hissed, pointing the knife at him “It’s my fave part of the episode!”

 

Lon’qu closed his mouth with a frown.

 

_......_

_Daraen?_

_Yes, Chrom?_

_[We met under unusual circumstances](http://fireemblem.wikia.com/wiki/The_Verge_of_History), but lives have been made from far less. My sister always followed her heart, so now I'm going to follow mine... What I want to ask you... Well, what I mean is... Will you marry me? _

_...Yes._

_Ha ha! With a word you've made me the happiest man in all the realm! Now I'll need to ask for a bit of patience for the near future... My first duty must be to heal the scars of war and assume my role for the people. But then, we can begin our life together._

“Yes!!” Robin squealed, letting herself fall on her back “Yesyesyes!! Gods I love this episode so much!!! It kills me every time!!”

“Isn’t that the finale of the first season of Fire Emblem?” Lon’qu asked, sitting on the far edge of her bed.

“What, you know this show? I didn’t think you could be into this kind of stuff. You look like the type of guy who doesn’t even own a TV.” She asked, sitting back up and looking at him curiously.

“My ex used to watch it, so I ended up watching it with her.” He shrugged without looking at her.

“Oooh, so you’re the Netflix and Chill type of man? Who would have guessed?” She teased, wriggling her eyebrows.

He didn’t bother responding to her provocation “She has always been fond of Chrom, strangely.”

“Strangely? He’s the main character!” She argued “I won’t let you badmouth him.”

He turned to her “I didn’t think you’d like this type of character.”

She crossed her arms, frowning faintly “What do you mean by that?”

“I don’t know, you don’t look like the kind of girl who’s into the Prince Charming type.” He leaned towards her and grabbed a slice of fig in front of her then sat back up to eat it “I thought you’d be more into bad boys.”

“Like Lon’zu, the mercenary?” She leaned against the headboard and focused back on the show “It’s funny how you’re similar to him, actually. Even your name sounds the same.” She shrugged as she ate another fig “I mean, Lon’zu is hot as hell. But I’ve been a little girl once, you know? I used to watch Disney movies. So I’m weak against the Dorky Prince Charming type.”

“I see.”

 

            They watched in silence the rest of the episode. Robin squealed or sighed whenever Chrom was on screen, and she couldn’t hold back comments on how handsome the actor was in his formal outfit. Even Daraen’s dress was stunning. Lon’qu smiled to himself. The very second Cordelia had seen that dress, she had paused the episode to analyse how on Earth it had been sewn. He remembered her determined look as she declared that she wanted the same dress for her own wedding.

 

“Lon’qu?” Robin said as the credits started, a small band at the bottom of the screen announcing that the first episode of the second season started right after the commercial break.

“Mmh?” He hummed, turning to her.

“Actually I’m into Good Guys because I’m a Bad Girl.” She smirked, wriggling her eyebrows seductively “I love the idea of perverting a righteous man.”

 

He rolled his eyes with a loud sigh and looked away. He stood up from her bed and walked to the bathroom to gather his clothes and went back to his bed to fold them neatly in his bag. Robin looked at him walk around in silence, biting her lower lip in appreciation when he bent down to grab his bag. She silently thanked the heat of the desert for forcing him to sleep in his boxers and a tank top; one of those tank tops whose armholes were a bit bigger than the usual, allowing her to see part of his sides. She pretended to focus on the TV when he lifted his head to her.

 

“Robin, are you done with the knife?” He asked. He hadn’t noticed her staring.

“Oh, right. There you go.” She closed it and bent towards him to give it back, almost losing balance and falling from the bed in the process.

“Thanks.”

“Ah!! The new episode is starting!!” She chirped, sitting up properly and arranging her pillow against the headboard to lean against it “Gods I couldn’t wait for the new season!”

 

            Lon’qu frowned faintly. He was not particularly into the show, he had just started watching it out of habit. Now Cordelia wasn’t there anymore, he didn’t feel the need to continue doing so. He glanced at Robin, busy rearranging her pillow and lifting her knees to her chest expectantly, like a child waiting for their Christmas presents. He had nothing else to do, and the episode would keep her distracted. And, he hoped, calm. He stood up, stretching – and owning himself a hungry look from her that he ignored – and sat on the end of her bed.

 

“Why don’t you sit on your bed?” She asked.

“Am I blocking the sight?” He asked back.

“No no, I’m just curious.”

“Your bed is closer to the TV than mine.” He explained.

“Oh.”

 

            Unexpectedly, the episode caught his attention. The scriptwriters had gone for an ellipse of two years between the two seasons. If Robin was a bit sceptical about that narrative choice, she quickly changed her mind when she saw the main characters’ newborn daughter, Lucina.

 

“Oh. My. GODS. She’s so adorable!!” She squeaked, putting her hands over her cheeks “Oh gods that’s it I’m obsessed again. I swear I’m going to watch all the episodes. Oh, wait, that means I’ll have to find motels with TVs. Damn.”

“They’ll probably broadcast the episode of the previous day before putting the new one.” Lon’qu shrugged.

“That still means I’ll have to have some regularity. Or that I need to get a laptop and Netflix asap.”

“Good luck with that.” He snorted.

 

\--

 

            The curtains were slowly flowing with the late night’s breeze, softly interrupting the silence of the world. The air was warm and dry, and Lon’qu had partially kicked his sheets away from him in his sleep. The young man stirred and half-opened an eye, before patting the bedside table in search for his phone. When he found the device, he pressed the lock button once to display the clock. 3.07AM. He sighed and put it back, his gaze lazily drifting through the semi darkness of the room. He needed a couple of seconds to realise that Robin’s bed was empty. Another look at the open bathroom door confirmed that she was not gone to the toilets. He struggled to sit up, rubbing a hand on his face with a grunt. Where was she _again_? He felt like he was babysitting a child who couldn’t keep calm for a single second. He stood up slowly and tottered to the door to open it, then leaned against the doorframe.

            Robin was sitting on the roof of the car, her back turned to him. She was leaning on a hand, holding the cigarette she had not finished in the other, a plaid covering her bare crossed legs. She blew some smoke in a long breath, and he watched the whirls slowly fade into the air. The neon above their bedroom door gave her white tank top a greenish glow. She extended her arm and tapped the cigarette end, letting its ashes fall on the tarmac like snow.

 

“You’re not sleeping?” She asked.

“I could ask you the same question.” He mumbled, rubbing his left eye with the back of his hand.

She tilted her head to look at him with a gentle smile “I’m not tired.”

“Driving and shopping must have been tiring, though.” He yawned.

“Go back to sleep, Lon’qu. I’ll be fine.” She spoke softly. Her calm and peaceful attitude was totally contrasting with her restlessness of the afternoon.

 

            As only answer, he closed the door and groggily climbed on the roof of the car to join her. She moved aside to give him some space, but made no comment. He leaned on his hands, crossing his legs and looking at the sky. She offered him her smoke, but he politely declined.

 

“Were you looking at the stars?” He asked.

“Yes.” She took a new puff “The desert is the best place to watch them. There’s no light pollution.”

“That neon behind us isn’t helping, though.” He commented.

“Indeed. Next time I’ll do it in the middle of the desert. I’ll sleep in the car.” She blew the smoke to her right to not bother him. “I haven’t seen the stars in ages.”

“How come?”

“The last place I was staying at didn’t have a lot of windows.” She explained.

“I see.”

 

            They remained silent a minute or two. Robin finished her cigarette and threw the end on the ground, before leaning on her hands again. She glanced at his thighs and hips from the corner of the eye.

 

“Seems like it’s just a legend in the end…” She mumbled to herself, a crooked grin stretching her lips.

“Mmh?”

“Nothing.” She grabbed the plaid and threw half of it on his legs “Cover your legs, you’re gonna be cold.”

“…Thanks.”

 

A new silence.

 

“Say…” Robin almost whispered.

“Mmh?”

“Why are you going to Ylisse?”

“I’m looking for someone.”

“Oh.”

“What about you?”

“I told you, road trip.”

“Yeah, but there must be a reason for it, no?”

 

Robin lied down and crossed her arms under her head, staring at the shining lights in the sky.

 

“To retrieve my freedom.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote the second chapter sooner than expected (I'm just finding every way possible to procrastinate on a report I have to hand in like, two days and I have only written half of it). The story starts to get clearer in my head, so I hope it's gonna be fun to read :)  
> Lon'qu speaks a bit too much compared to canon, but oh well.
> 
> By the way, the names I'm going to use in the TV show are the French/non-English European ones to not mistake them, probably mixed with the original Japanese ones (if I have to mention Cordelia for example, I'll call her Tiamo)


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “It was my sister.” He clarified, before he could be misunderstood.
> 
> She looked disappointed “Oooh.”

His eye twitched. Once. Twice. Behind him, Robin let out a long snort and burst into laughter.

 

“Oh my GODS!” She held her sides, trying to breathe “Oh my…! You’re the… You’re most unlucky person I’ve… I’ve ever met!!!” She sat on the ground ungracefully,  for she was unable to stand and kept on laughing “Oh gods!! You’re the best I swear! The master of the running joke!!”

 

Lon’qu clenched his fists, trying to remain calm despite Robin’s endless mocking in his back. He took a deep breath. Everything was fine. Yup, super fine. Totally okay.

…Actually, it wasn’t. The even the small white letters on the window seemed taunt him for his forgetfulness.

 

“Could you stop making fun of me??” He snapped, turning to Robin who had lied down, her arms and brown hair spread against the warm concrete.

“You just made my DAY!” She rubbed her jaw with a small frown, although still giggling “Damn, my jaw hurts from the laughter…”

“Why didn’t you tell me there weren’t any buses on Sundays?!”

“Hey! Do I look like I know all the timetables of the public transports in Plegia?” She pouted, crossing her arms.

Lon’qu took a new breath and exhaled slowly “…Right. Sorry.”

“You know what?” Robin said, standing up and dusting her clothes “Let’s go get breakfast. We’ll figure out something.”

 

            Lon’qu grunted but turned around to walk back to the car nonetheless. As promised, Robin had driven back to the city to drop him at the bus station. What he hadn’t planned was to find the shutters still closed despite the fact it was already nine in the morning. He had totally forgotten that public transportation didn’t usually run on Sundays.

            Robin patted his shoulder, catching his attention. With a move of the head and an encouraging smile, she invited him to follow her to find someplace to eat. A last grumble escaped his lips as he arranged his bag on his shoulder and followed her.

 

            By chance, they found a coffee shop that was open. There weren’t a lot of people inside, and he sighed in relief. He didn’t like crowded cafés and restaurants. It was not really big, but neatly arranged with black and white colors and a few plants here and there. Robin happily walked to the counter and smiled at the waitress, while he followed hesitantly, staying behind her. She ordered a cappuccino with a piece of cake, already looking for a bill in her shorts’ pockets, but when the waitress turned to him to take his order, he almost froze. He mumbled that he wanted a coffee with a croissant, then put his money on the counter and quickly walked to a table near the window, leaving the two women puzzled. Robin shrugged and once their food was ready, she brought their tray to the table he was sitting at. She took a seat, facing him.

 

“You forgot your change.” She said as she handed him his food, then put a pile of coins in front of him.

He took them and put them away in his wallet “…Thanks.”

“Are you okay? You totally freaked out in front of the waitress.” She asked, stirring her cappuccino while resting her chin on her other hand.

“I’m just… uncomfortable around women.” He admitted, looking outside.

“You seem fine around me though.”

“It’s not like I had a choice.”

 

            Robin raised an eyebrow but didn’t comment. Using the small fork she had been given, she started cutting small bites of her chocolate cake and ate them. Lon’qu stirred his coffee, still looking outside. What was he going to do now?

 

“Say…” Robin cut the silence while chewing “What are you doing for a living?”

“I’m a university student.” He said calmly, blowing on his drink and taking a sip.

“Are you? What major?” She seemed genuinely interested.

“Sports engineering and ergonomics.”

“…Wow, that sounds complicated.” She admitted, a pensive pout forming on her lips as she tried to understand what he meant.

“It’s a branch of sport studies that specializes in engineering. The main focus is to test and find the best combination of materials to make more efficient equipment or to adapt it to an athlete’s specific needs.”

Robin let out an admiring whistle “That’s pretty cool. I didn’t even know these kind of studies existed.”

“What about you?” Lon’qu asked, biting into his croissant.

“I never went to uni, actually.” She replied with a sorry look “I can’t impress you with my knowledge, sorry.”

“You didn’t want to continue studying?”

“…Let’s say that life got in the way.” She dismissed as she drank her cappuccino. She put her cup down and licked the white moustache the cream had left above her lips “Anyway, that means you have time until your classes start again, right? You’re resuming your lectures in September, aren’t you?”

“Yes?” He frowned faintly, trying to get her point.

“So you’re not, like, super in a rush to go to Ylisse. Right?”

“Just get to the point, Robin.” He sighed.

“I’d like to reiterate my offer.” She declared, crossing her arms and leaning back on her chair. She looked dead serious “Let me take you to Ylisse.”

 

            Lon’qu stayed silent a moment. He stared at her, looking for something in her chocolate eyes. He couldn’t see a single trace of amusement in them. The fact she was not teasing him or making any innuendo was almost odd. She raised an eyebrow, indicating that she wanted him to answer.

 

“Why do you absolutely want to help me?” He ended up asking.

“You want to cross the desert, and I’m on a road trip.” She shrugged “Basically, we’re going in the same direction. Consider this as carsharing. I’ve nothing better to do anyway, and I’d like to have a bit of company. So that gives me a reason to travel and a destination to reach. It’s two birds with one stone.”

He pinched his lips “To be honest, I don’t know.”

She smirked as she started playing with her fork “I’d like to remind you that the universe keeps on sending you signs telling you to _not_ take the bus.”

 

Lon’qu opened his mouth, but closed it without saying a word. She had a point. Even if he didn’t want to truly admit it. He started weighing the pros and cons: travelling with her would probably cost less than using public transportation, but it would take more time. But on the other hand, he didn’t know how and where to start his search. Hell, he didn’t even know where he was supposed to go once in Ylisse. That also meant being gone long enough for Olivia to worry… Maybe things wouldn’t go as planned if he rushed things. He needed information, although he didn’t know how. And who knew, maybe Robin would be able to help him, one way or another. If she didn’t drive him crazy by the time they reached the frontier.

 

“Fine, I accept.” He finally announced “But I’ll help you to pay for the gasoline and accommodation.”

“Deal!”

 

She smiled brightly, and held her hand out to him for a high five. He glanced at her hand without any intention of moving, but she gave him an insistent look and he gave in with a sigh, then high fived her. The deed was done, he could not go back on his word now.

 

“I’m fine with sharing the expenses, but I’d just like to give you a friendly reminder that I also accept payments in kind.” She said, giving him a suggestive look.

 

Lon’qu rolled his eyes. Of course she would say that.

 

\--

 

            Robin threw her bag in the trunk of the car, then closed it rather violently. She walked to the front of the vehicle, where Lon’qu was waiting, and spread a large map on the hood, unfolding it carefully. He was surprised she had managed to find such a large and precise map of the Plegian desert. There were way more roads than he had originally thought, indicating that it was not as empty as it was supposed to be. A larger line crossed the middle of the map, from east to west. Robin tapped a small spot on the west part, right after the first mountain chain that separated the coast from the arid parts of Plegia.

 

“We’re here.” She stated, then let her finger trail along the map to the starting point of the larger road “We have to reach the highway first, which will take around a day and a half.”

“Isn’t it supposed to be shorter?” Lon’qu asked. He was checking on Google Maps at the same time.

She shook her head “Internet doesn’t take into account the fact we’re humans and that we need to rest from time to time. And there are nice spots to visit in this area.”

“I see.” He nodded “Go on.”

“Then, we go aaaaaaall-” she let the word roll on her tongue as she moved her finger along the highway, until it reached its end, near the mountain chain that marked the natural frontier between Plegia and Ylisse “the way here. That should take another three days of driving, so roughly five days if we count resting. Maybe six if we take our time.”

“What about the car?” He asked, crossing his arms.

She lifted an eyebrow, turning to him “What about my car?”

“Do you think it’ll endure such a long trip?” He didn’t look really convinced.

“Oh, I haven’t taken this into account.” She replied, turning her gaze to the map “Let’s hope we get lucky and it doesn’t ditch us on the way.”

“You said you bought it recently, right?”

“Yeah, a couple of days ago, why?”

“Have you checked if it was working correctly at least?”

She made a slightly jaded face “Dude. That car is probably worth more in spare parts than in its entirety. I bought it for like, a hundred G because the owner was going to dump it at the scrapheap and he wanted to get rid of it. I don’t expect much from it.”

“That doesn’t answer my question.” He commented with a small frown.

“I checked the tires, the oil and the brakes. I know basic stuff in mechanics, but don’t expect me to fix it if it breaks.”

“With my luck-“

“Shh!” She cut him “You’re going to jinx us!!”

 

\--

 

            Fortunately, bad luck was being kept at bay. For now, at least. They had hit the road shortly after having sorted out their driving plan, Robin taking the wheel. They would take turns every few hours, since Lon’qu had his driver’s licence – which kind of surprised her at first – and stop once in a while to stretch their legs. If the nights and mornings were warm but still endurable, the heat became harder to bear as hours passed.

            Lon’qu’s phone vibrated on the dashboard, a plain tune ringing. Robin rolled her eyes; of course it had to be the plain pre-saved melody. She took a mental note to snatch his phone as soon as possible to solve the problem. The young man took the device to check who it was, then put it back down with a small frown.

 

“You’re not answering it?” Robin asked, glancing at it from the corner of the eye.

 

            He pinched his lips, hesitating. Olivia’s name appearing on the screen made his stomach twist in guilt. He looked at his hands, fidgeting with them, then gave in and grabbed his phone, picking up the call as he lowered the sound of the radio with the other hand.

 

“Hi.” He said, trying to keep his tone neutral.

_“Hi there!! You haven’t replied to my latest texts, I was starting to get worried! How are you??”_ Olivia chirped through the phone. Her happy voice was almost contagious.

“Oh, sorry. I… I was a bit busy recently. But I’m fine.” He replied, looking outside and silently praying things would go well.

_“Oh…Okay. Don’t forget to give some news from time to time, Dad keeps on asking me to call you.”_

“He can call himself, you know?” There was a hint of teasing in his voice. The corner of his lips curled up in a small smile.

_“You know he’s unable to use a phone properly._ ” She chuckled. _“Where are you? There’s a loud sound coming through the phone.”_

 

Robin opened her mouth to speak but he cut her with a threatening glare and a gesture of the hand. The car sure wasn’t an epitome of silence and discretion.

 

“It’s the traffic, there’s this sort of wreck at the red light at the end of the street. I wonder how it can run without losing parts on the road.” He lied “What about you?” He asked in attempt to divert her attention “How are your rehearsals going?”

_“My coach sure doesn’t go easy on me, and I feel like each muscle of my body is in a state of permanent stiffness, but otherwise I’m fine. I can’t wait for the show to be ready. Will you come to see me perform? It should be ready by the end of September.”_

“Of course I will, I wouldn’t miss your beginnings as prima ballerina for anything in the world.” He said with a tender expression, owning himself a surprised look from Robin.

A soft giggle came through the phone _“Okay then, I’ll ask my coach to keep three tickets so you can come with Dad and Aunt Flavia.”_ Someone called her in the distance _“Yes, I’m coming in a minute! Sorry Lon’qu, I’ve got to go. I’ll keep you updated, okay? See you soon!”_

“See you.”

_“I love you!”_ She added. He could easily imagine the smile on her face as she spoke.

“I love you too.” He replied half-heartedly, then hung up.

 

            Robin shot him several curious glances, and he put his phone back on the dashboard. He tried to ignore her insistent staring by looking outside, but it was useless: he could feel her gaze piercing through him.

 

“What?” He asked with a curt voice.

“I’m just curious about who that could be. I thought you didn’t know how to smile.” She explained very seriously, although he could feel her mocking tone as she nodded to herself “You even know the words “I love you”! I’m impressed.”

“It was my sister.” He clarified, before he could be misunderstood.

She looked disappointed “Oooh.”

 

Lon’qu rolled his eyes and turned the volume up, as if to make her understand that the conversation was over. But that didn’t stop her.

 

“Why did you lie to her?” She asked, rolling down her window with a hand and leaning her arm on it.

“I don’t want her to worry about me.” He mumbled, his voice muffled by his hand as he leaned on his elbow.

She raised an eyebrow, unconvinced “Well, if you don’t answer your phone, she will. And that doesn’t answer my question. Why did you pretend you were still on the coast?”

“She doesn’t know I’m going to Ylisse.”

“Why?”

“Because she wouldn’t agree, and neither would my parents!” He hissed “Now could we please change the subject?”

“Gods, relax dude. I’m not asking you to send them postcards!” She groaned.

 

            They remained silent for a good half-hour, Robin focused on her driving, Lon’qu looking outside with a frown and a weird feeling clutching on his stomach. He hated lying to Olivia. But if lying meant she would not unnecessarily worry for him, then he would do it. His past was catching up with him. Or more like, he was the one trying to catch up with his past. And he would never drag his family down with him.

            His chain of thoughts suddenly got cut by the loud growl coming from his stomach. Robin looked at him and smiled.

 

“Yeah, me too.” She said “What time is it?”

Lon’qu checked his phone “2.36PM.”

“Wow, yeah, it’s really time for us to get something to eat.”

 

            They stopped at the first gas station they could find. There was also a small shop attached to it, but except that, nothing else was in sight. Just a couple of rocks, some brave and sinuous bushes, and dirt. They parked the car next to one of the gas pumps, under the more than welcomed shadow. Robin got out of the car and stretched, letting out a sound that was borderline indecent, then ruffled her hair with a sigh. Lon’qu dug his wallet from his bag and rolled his shoulders.

 

“I guess we should fill it up.” She said, checking the gas prices above Lon’qu’s head. There was only a quarter of tank left “Who knows when we’ll come across a gas station after that one.” She waved her hand as he walked to the pump “Leave it, I’ll do it myself. I’ll join you in the shop, go get something to eat.”

“Fine.” He said, then walked to the large glass doors.

 

            Lon’qu barely held back a sigh of relief when he felt the fresh air on his skin as he entered the shop. _Gods bless the inventor of air conditioning_. Except for the cashier to his left, there was a woman standing at a high table to his right, near vending machines, busy painting her nails in a bright red colour with great attention. He walked to the fresh food shelves and crossed his arms, scanning through them in search for something worth eating.

He had picked up a large bottle of water with a pack of cherry tomatoes when Robin appeared by his side a few minutes later.

 

“So? What did you pick?” She asked, leaning forward to check his hands’ contents.

“Tomatoes and water. I was waiting for you.” He replied, looking at his reflection in her sunglasses “Why do you keep them on? Can you see anything?”

“Oh, yeah, I’m fine.” She assured, waving one of her gloved hands “Anyway, let’s pick up other stuff, a couple of tomatoes won’t be enough for me.”

 

            Robin picked up a sandwich with a box of biscuits, and left Lon’qu as he was still trying to decide what to eat. She walked around the shop, absentmindedly checking the shelves in case they needed anything else, and stopped by the books. She hesitated for a couple of seconds, then walked closer, taking a look at their covers one by one. One caught her attention, and she took it, turning it around to read its back cover. She smiled and hummed to herself, and kept it as she started looking for one that would interest Lon’qu.

 

            They joined at the checkout a few minutes later, and Lon’qu held his credit card to the cashier as he scanned the articles with a polite smile, indicating the gas pump number to pay for the gas at the same time. In the distance, he heard the woman complain about her nail polish, but he ignored it. He put all their purchases in a plastic bag and glanced towards his fellow traveller, captivated by the TV above them, as if she was looking for something on the screen.

 

“Robin?” He called her, and she snapped out of her thoughts to look at him.

“Yeah?”

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah yeah, I’m fine. I was just…” she waved her hand to dismiss his worry as she walked to him “Just checking the news.”

 

Lon’qu looked up at the screen, and saw only the results of the latest singing contest held in Plegia. The lady with long blue hair – whose name he had forgotten – had won this year’s occasion. He wasn’t sure she was truly interested in this kind of program, though. Robin walked out of the shop without waiting for him, and he followed her with a last goodbye at the cashier.

 

\--

 

            Robin took off her shoes and pulled nail polish out of her pocket. She put her left foot on the dashboard, bending forward as much as possible in attempt to reach her toes. She started painting her nails in a bright red colour, trying to keep her right hand steady as she applied the cosmetic product.

 

_What do we conceal? What do we reveal?_  
Make that decision every day  
What is wrong with me, it's what's wrong with you  
There's just so much I wanna say

She mumbled along with a small smile. __  
  
”I like to make-believe with you. Da, da, da, da, do, do, do ~ That we always speak the truth-ish. I like how we pretend the same. Da, da, da, da, do, do, do ~ Play this silly little game, hey!”

 

            Lon’qu tapped his fingers in rhythm on the wheel, lazily passing a hand in his hair with the other. That got her attention, and she lifted her head to him. They had been driving for a good hour and a half after they had eaten their belated lunch.

 

“Want me to take the wheel?”

“You’ve been driving all morning, I’ll be fine.” He pointed at her foot “I don’t remember you buying this.”

“I had it before.” She said as she focused back on her task. He lifted an eyebrow but didn’t comment.

 

_I've got some things to say_  
'Cause there's a lot that you don't know  
It's written on my face, it's gonna be hard to swallow  
(Everybody's got a secret)  
I got some things to say  
(Everybody's got a secret)  
'Cause there's a lot that you don't know  
(Everybody's got a secret)  
It's written on my face  
(Everybody's got a secret)  
  


Once her work done, Robin wriggled her toes to admire her work with a pleased smile, then changed legs.

__  
Put it in the closet, lock the doors  
Wondering which one is worse  
Is it mine or is it yours  
Put it in the closet, lock the doors  
Wondering which one is worse  
I'll show mine if you show yours  
I'll show mine if you show yours, hey, hey, hey!

 

            If she had to be totally honest with herself, red suited her quite well. It even looked amazing on her. As soon as they would find someplace more stable, she would paint her fingernails as well. She had to show the world how great red nail polish was. She rolled the window down and crossed her legs, letting her freshly painted feet dangle outside.

 

“Lon’qu?” She asked with a playful voice, while tying her hair in a low ponytail.

“What?”

“Do you have games on your phone?”

“Yes. Why?”

“Because I’m bored, obviously.” She said with a pout “Can I borrow it?”

He hesitated a few seconds, then gave up with a sigh. If he said no, she would hassle him until he accepted “Fine. It’s in the front pocket of my bag.”

Robin smiled brightly “Thanks!!”

 

            She fished the device in his bag and swiped the screen to unlock it. She made a blasé face when she saw that she needed to enter a pin code, but the thing that disappointed her the most was his wallpaper. Or lack thereof, actually. The plain blue background with a plain wave. Seriously, what was the point of having a smartphone if he didn’t customize it at least a little?

 

“Hey. What’s your password?”

“Gimme.” Lon’qu said, snatching the phone away from her hands without taking his eyes away from the road. He entered the password and handed the phone back to her “There you go.”

“Thanks.”

 

            It was kind of a miracle that he had games on his phone. If he didn’t know how to change his background, he probably didn’t know how to download apps either. Her fingers paused. Although his lock screen was plain, he had at least a picture set as his normal background. Lon’qu was on the right, a hint of a smile – although unconvinced and slightly embarrassed – stretching the left corner of his lips, while a girl with a pink wavy ponytail was on the left, smiling brightly at the camera and wrapping an arm around his shoulders. Given the angle of the picture, she was probably the one who took the selfie. Something told Robin that she was also the one who had set it as his wallpaper. Whoever she was, she was grateful to her. Probably his ex. After swiping on the almost empty screen for a minute, she realised that he actually had only one game.

 

“Fruit Ninja? Really?” She snorted.

“You can give me my phone back, if you’re not satisfied with that.” He remarked.

“Hell no, I’m bored.” She opened the app and waited for the game to load, lifting her sunglasses to the top of her head to have a better look. Messy strands of her brown hair fell in front of her eyes. Once she started the game, she let out a loud gasp “Oh my gods!!”

“What?” Lon’qu said, giving her a confused look.

She turned the device so he could look at it as she pointed at the screen “How can your record be _that high_??”

He sighed in relief. It was nothing of importance. “I tend to play a lot on my way to uni. I prefer doing this than stare awkwardly at people.” He explained with a shrug.

“Damn, I’ve never seen such a high score before. I’m pretty sure you rank among the best players!”

“Maybe, I’ve never used the internet thing in it.”

“Could you stop sounding so blasé?” She complained, rolling her eyes.

He shrugged again “I don’t care about comparing my scores to others. Plus it’s not like there’s good coverage in subways.”

 

            Robin opened her mouth, but closed it without saying a word. He was not wrong. She settled better on her seat, sinking in it until the belt touched her cheek, and started playing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song they're listening to in this chapter is Secrets : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SyLvub-K6pQ&pbjreload=10  
> Also I casually threw a Azura cameo in that chapter, but she won't be of any importance in the story, so I didn't develop.
> 
> I hope you liked this chapter! Don't hesitate to leave a comment!


	4. Chapter 4

            Robin stretched with a loud yawn and stood up, before putting her hands on her lower back and arching it in attempt to relieve the soreness in her limbs. Lon’qu leaned on a hand, absentmindedly eating what was left of his burger with the other while looking at the darkness facing their motel. It was actually a miracle that they had managed to find a Burger Khan on their way, and Robin had not even needed a lot of convincing to get him to stop their car at the drive-through. He had advised that they should actually eat proper meals though, for they couldn’t spend their entire week eating sandwiches and biscuits; it wasn’t healthy. She let out a loud sigh and relaxed, her arms falling to her sides. The air was still warm despite the fact the night had fallen.

 

“Gods, I’m super tired. Mind if I shower first? I don’t wanna miss Fire Emblem.”

“Sure, go ahead.” He replied absentmindedly.

 

            She let out a small hum and walked to the door of their room that had been left open behind them. For some obscure reason, its layout was similar to the one they had shared the night before, but with better lighting and white walls instead of a weird yellowish colour. She looked for a clean pair of panties and her strap-top-pyjama then locked herself in the bathroom.

            She groaned when the water hit her shoulders. It was cold, and barely warmed up with the minutes. But what she hated the most was the shitty water pressure. It made her feel she wasn’t taking a real shower.

It reminded her of the dark days she had _finally_ managed to escape.

A shiver of horror ran down her spine and she turned the water off. She leaned forward and rested her forehead against the cold tiles of the shower, taking long breaths.

 

“You’re fine girl, you’re fine…” She whispered to herself “You’ve got a head start on them. You’re fine.”

 

            She took a new breath and got out of the shower. The towels were too small to her taste, adding another layer to her already growing annoyance. She quickly dried herself and put her pyjamas on, before going back to the room and collapsing on her bed with a grunt, that ended up muffled because of the mattress. Lon’qu looked up from his phone, sitting on his bed, and shot her a curious glance.

 

“The water’s cold and inexistent.” She mumbled.

“Is it?”

She lifted her head with a pout “Yeeaah there’s no water pressure and it’s barely warm.” She remained silent a few seconds “You should shower before Fire Emblem starts though.”

 

            He nodded with a hum but made no sign of moving. Robin grabbed the remote on the bedside table and turned the TV on, changing channels while waiting for the show to start.

            When Lon’qu finally put his phone down and went to the bathroom, the episode of the previous night had already started. Robin ignored him, too focused on humming the opening song along.

When her eyes fell on his phone halfway through the episode, however, she changed her mind. She really had to do something. He couldn’t keep using it without even changing the default settings, that was socially unacceptable. She fetched the device and stared at the locked screen for a few seconds. She had to think rationally. What kind of password could he use?

 

            He thumbs hovered over the screen, then she tentatively typed 1234. It didn’t work. She tried 0000 instead. It did not work either. She pouted pensively, then took a second to check the bathroom door with a glance. She could still hear the water running. She did not know him well yet, but it was kind of obvious that Lon’qu liked to keep things simple. Keeping things simple meant a password easy to remember. What combination could be easy to remember?

 

_I know what you're thinking, Daraen, but we owe Regna Ferox a great debt. I must apprise myself of the facts there before deciding on a course of action._

_Nope, not what I was thinking. I was actually going to suggest we discuss strategy as we travel._

_B-but Lucina is newly born! She needs her mother now._

_You told me House Ylisse has a tradition of wet-nursing. And you and Lissa turned out rather well from where I stand. Lucina is a strong child; she takes after her father. The Brand in her left eye proves it._

_I'm not just worried about her. ...I'd worry about you as well._

Robin gasped loudly. Of course! How could she have not thought about it before? She got up and rummaged through his bag until she found what she needed. Lon’qu’s wallet was simple, made of brown leather, and far from being full. There was only loose change in it, his credit card, his driver’s licence, a bubble-tea shop loyalty card – which was unusual, but not totally surprising – and his passport. She carefully took it and sat down on her bed, flipping through the pages. She snorted at his ID picture, hiding her mouth behind a hand. He looked like a murderer. Well, ID pics were anything but flattering, so it was understandable.

What was more surprising was that he was Feroxi. At least, the passport was of the Birepublic of Regna Ferox. She took a closer look at his information.

 

_Surname: Artemiev_ _Nationality: Feroxi_

_Given Name: Lon’qu_ _Sex: M_

_Date of Birth: 10/10/XXXX_ _Authority: Port Ferox_

_Place of Birth: Chon’sin_

 

 

 

 

 

            So he was indeed born in Chon’sin, but had the Feroxi nationality. He did not look like he was mixed-race, especially since the Feroxi had a skin way darker than the Plegians; on the other hand Lon’qu was as pale as a Chon’sinese could be. And yet, his surname couldn’t sound more Feroxi. Her brow furrowed in concentration, but she quickly gave up. She could still ask him about it.

            She took the phone again, and typed the new combination: 1010. She let out a pleasantly surprised squeal when the device unlocked, and quickly put his belongings back in their place. She was better off if Lon’qu did not know that she had actually gone through his stuff. Avoiding a long scolding was not a bad idea. Now she had access to his phone, she had to be fast. She quickly went through his songs, smiling to herself when she realised that _at least_ he had quite a lot of them. He probably listened to music a lot on his way to uni or when he was working out.

Speaking of working out, she had not seen him doing sit ups today. He had probably done it quickly when she was under the shower to avoid an embarrassing encounter with her again. Too bad. She shook her head and scrolled through the songs. Mostly rock songs, a bit of classical, and a couple of songs in Chon’sinese. One caught her attention in particular.

 

_Rihanna, Shut Up And Drive_

 

            She didn’t know that Lon’qu was the kind of guy who would listen to Rihanna, but for the symbolism of it, she knew she _had_ to set that song as his ringtone. She quickly made the changes, then opened the camera and set it on selfie mode. She lied down on her bed, her hair spreading around her face kind of randomly, and arranged her bangs with the help of the screen. She took a few pictures while making different faces, from funny to serious, her ears still pricked up to check if Lon’qu would come out of the bathroom soon. She stopped after the twelfth one, then checked her work attentively. She picked her favourite, and added a bunch of hearts and flowers to it before setting it as his lock wallpaper. She didn’t touch the other picture, for she didn’t know its sentimental value and did not want to risk Lon’qu’s wrath.

Because under his layers of composure and calmness, he could be terrifying when he was angry. She was sure of it.

 

\--

 

            Lon’qu turned the lights off, and crawled in his bed with a sigh. Robin was reading, their shared bedside lamp giving off a soft yellow light. He turned his head with a grunt, facing her, and squinted his eyes as he tried to decipher the title of the book in her hands.

 

“ _Make Him Fall For You In A Fortnight_? Really? You like that book too?” He grumbled.

She lifted her head to look at him curiously “ _Too_? You’ve read it?” She smirked “You could have told me directly if you were gay, it would have spared me some useless flirting.”

“I’m not gay.” He said, rolling his eyes as he lied on his back, putting an arm under his pillow “My ex used to read it, that’s all.”

“Oh? And did the techniques work? I suppose she has tried them on you.”

 

He hummed pensively, looking at the ceiling. She had done so a few times, but it was so unnatural of her that he had seen it right away.

 

“I tend to be oblivious… sometimes.” He finally answered “If she did I probably haven’t noticed it.”

“Well, it’s kind of useless if you were already dating her back then.”

“We weren’t officially dating when she did, if my memory serves me well. But some of the advice in that thing is completely subjective, so it doesn’t work on everyone.” He chuckled “Once, Cordelia spent a good fifteen minutes fluttering her eyelashes at me when we were on a coffee date, and I ended up asking her if she had something in her eye. She was so embarrassed after that!”

 

            The silence that followed made him feel slightly awkward. He turned his head to look at Robin; normally she would have made a nasty remark. Had she fallen asleep?

She had closed her book and crossed her legs on her bed, facing him. She was strangely calm, and smiling.

 

“It’s nice to actually see you laugh.” She said “You seem to be really fond of her.”

“I am, yes.”

“Why did you break up?”

“Common agreement.”

 

Robin tilted her head to the side, a pensive frown on her face. Common agreement? Who would break up on a common agreement? Break ups where always dramatic and full of tears and “please don’t go”s. Or maybe she had seen too many TV shows.

 

“Care to explain? I’m quite lost there.” She said.

Lon’qu looked back at the ceiling “She’s Ylissean, and she came to study in Plegia. Now she graduated, she went back home. We were very fond of each other, but none of us wanted to get into a long-distance relationship so… it ended when she left.”

“Wow, I think it’s even sadder than an actual dramatic break up.” Robin commented.

“What do you mean?”

“It could have lasted way longer if she had stayed.”

“Maybe.”

 

            She lifted an eyebrow. If he was sad, he was fairly good at hiding it. She could not say if he had accepted the fact as it was, or if he had actually struggled through their break up. After all, separating when the relationship was going well was kind of heartbreaking in itself.

Lon’qu turned to look at her. She couldn’t make out his expression, something neutral, a bit pained, although peaceful. Maybe he had already undergone all the stages of mourning already. Maybe he was over it.

 

Gods, why did she even care?

 

She cleared her throat and opened her book again.

 

“I’m going to read for a while, hope you don’t mind.” She said, ignoring the slight heat spreading through her cheeks.

“Okay.” He yawned and turned around “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.”

 

\--

 

_She was running. As fast as she could. Yet, her feet seemed to be glued to the ground, her body barely moving forward. Behind her, a laugh. An evil laugh that was coming closer, making her heart race in fear. He must not catch her. She would rather die than let him catch her. She could almost feel his hand grabbing her wrist. She had to escape._

_“Let me go!!!” she shrieked._

_Something made her trip in the darkness and she fell to the ground with a cry. She crawled, panting loudly, her strength slowly leaving her body._

_Then there was a light._

_A light shining faintly further ahead, white and welcoming, her light._

_And a child’s laugh._

_Something heavy pressed on her back, preventing her from moving, crushing her ribcage, forcing the air out of her lungs. He had caught her. He had caught her and he was going to make her pay._

 

Robin jumped awake with a gasp. She ran a hand in her sweaty hair, catching her breath as the other clenched the sheets. It took her half a minute to calm her panting, the only glimmer she could make out in the dark coming from the closed curtains and that red LED on the bottom right corner of the TV. Somehow, she gathered the strength to leave her bed to totter towards the bathroom weakly. Ignoring the painful light as she switched it on, she opened the tap of the sink and sprayed cold water on her face, several times in a row. When she turned the water off, she leaned her trembling hands on the washbasin and let her head hung. Drops were gliding along her face, gathering at her chin, nose and bangs and dripping down on the white porcelain. But she didn’t manage to focus on the feeling.

 

He couldn’t catch her. He couldn’t catch her.

 

“He won’t. _Fucking. Catch. Me_.” She hissed between her gritted teeth, gripping the edges of the sink until her knuckles turned white. She had to convince herself.

 

He didn’t know she was free. She was the one who was going to get him, not the opposite. He didn’t know she was the one coming for him. That she would get her revenge.

 

            Her stomach twisted and Robin retched. She quickly made her way to the toilet bowl and sat in front of it ungracefully, waiting for the moment she would throw up her dinner. Fortunately – or not – nothing happened, but the nausea did not fade. She did not have the energy to move - her legs felt like jelly - and decided to remain there for a while. She put her forearm on the edge of the toilets and rested her forehead against it, her damp hair sticking to her temples and the coldness of the tiled floor spreading through her thighs and butt. Her gaze was unfocused, wandering on the tiles and her legs, until it fell on the back of her right hand that was resting on the ground weakly. She retched again.

Gods, did she hate that tattoo. It felt like its six eyes were piercing through her. Like he was observing her through them.

 

“Are you okay, Robin?”

 

            She slowly lifted her head and turned around. Lon’qu was standing in the doorway, rubbing the sleep off his eyes, the bright light causing him to frown.

 

“I’m fine” she mumbled, resting her head on her arm again “Go back to bed.”

 

He ignored her order and grabbed one of the small unused towels, soaked it in the sink, wrung it, then walked back to her. Kneeling next to her, he folded the cloth in his hands, and started wiping the sweat off her shoulders and nape. She sighed in relief and let him do, although she instinctively hid her right hand between her legs. It was a nice feeling. She had forgotten what it felt like to be taken care of.

The silence that settled between the two of them was kind of relaxing. She knew he was not going to ask her what was wrong, until she decided to tell him herself.

 

“Are you feeling better?” he finally asked.

 

She nodded feebly. Lon’qu cleared his throat, gathering his courage, then gently combed her hair backwards, making her lift her head and look at him in the process. And with the most gentle of gestures, he dabbed her forehead and temples, holding her in place by putting a hand on her nape. If she had had the energy, she would have made a suggestive comment. But now she was just too mentally exhausted for that. It felt like the world had stopped.

Somehow, she liked how his dark grey eyes shone in concentration.

 

“Thanks…” She whispered.

 

He hummed in reply and kept on cleaning her face and neck, until he reached her collarbones. He did not dare go lower, and let her go to stand up. Groggy, she watched him drop the towel on the edge of the sink and walk back to her. She was about to say something, but was cut when he bent down an passed an arm on her back, the other one under her legs, and stood up to carry her back to her bed. He did it with such ease that she might as well as weighed nothing in his arms.

 

“Uh, Lon’qu’?” She mumbled weakly “I thought women scared you, did you change your mind?”

“I didn’t. But I won’t let you in your death throes in the bathroom. You left the door open and the light is too bright to sleep.”

“Oh, sorry I disturbed your beauty sleep.” She snorted.

 

Lon’qu rolled his eyes and helped her lie down on her bed. She turned the bedside light on, while he switched the one in the bathroom off, and stretched with a loud yawn as he walked back to his bed. He sat on its edge, facing her, and lazily ruffled his hair with a hand.

 

“Are you feeling better?”

“Yeah… I didn’t throw up anyway.” She said, lying on her stomach and spreading her limbs in a star shape unceremoniously.

“Bad dream?” he asked.

“Sort of, yes. But I don’t remember any of it.” She lied to make sure he wouldn’t ask further questions.

 

Lon’qu stared at her, trying to gauge the truthfulness of her words. That guy sure was observant.

 

“I swear I don’t remember.” She repeated.

He frowned faintly “Right.”

“…I think I need a smoke.” She admitted.

“No you don’t, it’s going to make it worse.” He said, lying back down and rearranging the sheets.

“How do I fall back asleep then?”

He switched the light off and turned his back to her “Count sheep.”

 

There was a second of silence, and she bit her bottom lip to not smile too much.

 

“Lon’qu?”

“What?”

“Can you sing me a lullaby?”

“No.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hesitated between making this chapter longer by adding the following day as well, but it would haven taken another two months before posting it haha.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “It’s nothing.” He mumbled, looking down at his half-empty cup of coffee.  
> “Uhuh.” She let out, totally unconvinced. She took a bite of her food and spoke, her voice muffled by her chewing “Nothing, but still enough to make you blush.”  
> “I’m not blushing.” He countered, perfectly aware that his cheeks were, in fact, burning.  
> “Dude, you definitely are. Were you having dirty thoughts about me? I’m pretty sure the bathroom’s free, if you want me to take care of your problem.” She teased, wriggling her eyebrows at him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I AM ALIVE!! Barely, but still alive. This chapter has been sitting in my computer for while now, but I didn't know how to end it. A big thanks to Soraraha who, with their heartfelt review on the last chapter, managed to rekindle the flames of inspiration!!!
> 
> I have the feeling that this chapter is short, but it's probably better if I post it now!  
> Don't hesitate to comment! Give me your impressions, your headcanons, your guesses about this story! I you can't/don't want to do that here, just shoot me a message at @trcelyneart on Tumblr!!

Robin laced her fingers and lifted her arms as high as possible, making her spine crack as she stretched with a small noise. The sun was barely up, drenching the desert in warm orange light, slowly warming the dirt and sand. Early mornings were great for this, with just enough light to see without hurting the eyes and the air warm but not suffocating yet. She wished days would actually be just dawns and sunsets; so she could enjoy the bright colors of the sky and forget about all the rest.

 

But she could not afford to forget about the rest.

 

She let her arms fall to her sides with a loud sigh, and checked the pockets of her shorts. She didn’t have a lot of money left. Well, at least she was ready for the moment she’d need to make some. She just hadn’t thought it would come this soon. She had few principles, and whilst not asking Lon’zu to pay for most of her stuff was not one, she still felt bad about it. She had not been to university, but she knew how expensive higher education was in Plegia. Most students had not even started working yet that they were already indebted for half of their lives. And then the government wondered why people her generation didn’t buy houses anymore. Idiots.

 

She had tried her best to rest, but the nightmare tormented her vividly. The fear, the laughs, the heavy weight crushing her ribcage. It had all felt so real. Yet, she knew that the only place where she was weak was the deepest parts of her subconscious. If he were to chase her for real, she would distance him quickly. Or so she hoped. When was the last time she had run for her life?

 

Robin shook her head and picked the map up from her bag, before tossing it on the backseat through the open window of the car. She leaned against the hood, resting her left foot on the bumper as she unfolded the map to study it. She checked their progress in a focused silence. If things went well, they would reach the highway by mid-afternoon. This map was not the most precise she could get her hands on, but that was largely enough since she remembered pretty well the places she had to go to. She tapped a spot the paper pensively with a finger, humming to herself. She’d need another day and a half to reach it; the hardest part would be trying to convince Lon’qu that they had to make a tiny detour. Maybe she could pretend there was something of interest in the-

 

“Hey.” Lon’qu said, stretching his arms with a yawn.

She lifted her head to look at him, her eyes drifting to the patch of skin of his abdomen uncovered by his tank top. Damn those hipbones. She looked back at him and smiled “Hey handsome. Ready for a new day in my amazing company?”

He grunted “I’m not sure I’ll ever be.”

She snorted and looked at the map again “You’ll get used to it. Soon you’ll be crazy about me.”

“Yeah, sure.” He mumbled, totally unconvinced “So? What’s today’s plan?”

She held up the map “I was checking today’s route, actually.”

 

He leaned on the car next to her, and she showed him the roads they had to follow. He listened attentively, only nodding in approval with a weak hum a couple of times. At first, Robin thought he was still sleepy, but a quick glance at him indicated that he was perfectly awake. Being an early riser fitted him, somehow. He looked like the type of guy who woke up at five to go for a jog.

She didn’t tell him about the detour she was planning to make, for she still had to come up with an excellent excuse to do so. In worst cases she’d just go alone one night and be back by the following morning.

 

“Anyway!” She concluded by folding the map suddenly “Breakfast time! How about we hit the road and find some food?”

“Don’t you want to have breakfast here?” Lon’qu asked, pointing towards the small cafeteria attached to the motel’s reception.

“Nope, I don’t like their food.” She announced with a tone that implied there was no room for negotiations.

 

He rolled his eyes with a sigh but did not comment on it.

 

\--

 

The warm smell of pancakes made Robin’s mouth water expectantly. They had managed to find a small town with something that looked like a coffee shop in it, and had decided to settle there for breakfast. The waiter smiled politely at them and left their table without further ado, leaving the large plate between the two of them. She grabbed one and opened a single-dose of apricot jam, which she started spreading on her food meticulously. Lon’qu, on the other hand, picked one and ate it without bothering adding a topping. Robin chewed, then moaned in delight as she made a thank-you gesture towards the ceiling, as if she were grateful to some god above. The only moments she was silent were the ones she was eating something, and he secretly enjoyed it. Robin paid so much attention to her food that initiating a conversation with her was almost impossible, unless she was the one who had to say something. He was so used to Basilio and Flavia’s loud laughter whenever they shared a meal when he and Olivia were children, that his first months alone in Plegia had been a bit odd. But he had soon grown to enjoy the silence, for he was introverted and did not like to be the centre of the attention anyway.

 

Robin picked another pancake and proceeded to spread the rest of her jam on it. She put so many care and attention in the way she ate her food, as if each meal they had was a feast. Or as if each meal would be her last. Her hazel eyes were shining ever so faintly, a permanent smile on her lips and her shoulders tensed in excitement. However, every time he was about to admit to himself that a calm Robin who enjoyed her food looked, in fact, rather lovely, she always made a borderline indecent sound while chewing that reminded him to not let himself be fooled by the atmosphere. Lon’qu twirled the spoon in his coffee, then took a sip, his eyes never leaving her. She often brushed her hair away from her face in annoyance, and he remembered she had told him she had cut it recently and was not used to it yet. He tried to imagine her with longer hair, but he had troubles getting his head around the idea. Prickly uneven hair suited her.

 

“Why the long face?” She asked, in the middle of preparing her third pancake.

Lon’qu snapped out of his thoughts “Uh?”

She lifted an eyebrow “You were frowning at me. Did I do something wrong?”

“It’s nothing.” He mumbled, looking down at his half-empty cup of coffee.

“Uhuh.” She let out, totally unconvinced. She took a bite of her food and spoke, her voice muffled by her chewing “Nothing, but still enough to make you blush.”

“I’m not blushing.” He countered, perfectly aware that his cheeks were, in fact, burning.

“Dude, you definitely are. Were you having dirty thoughts about me? I’m pretty sure the bathroom’s free, if you want me to take care of your problem.” She teased, wriggling her eyebrows at him.

He sighed loudly, trying to look composed and stop the reddening of his cheeks “I wasn’t. Stop thinking I am as dirty as you.”

“Well, it’s all a question of point of view, if you want my opinion.” She finished her pancake and sipped her cappuccino “Your choice of words, I mean. I don’t consider myself dirty. Horny yes, most definitely, it’s part of my personality at this point, but not dirty. Sex is fun, you know? There’s nothing dirty about having fun.” She smirked “Or you weren’t aware because you never went past the second base with your ex?”

“…I’m not even sure I want to understand what that means.” He mumbled.

She gasped dramatically “You don’t _know_ what it means?”

“I’m not familiar with all the Plegian slang terms, you know?”

“Oh right, I forgot it wasn’t your mother tongue. You almost have no accent so I keep on forgetting about that.” She pinched her lips and glanced down at her drink for half a second “It doesn’t sound Chon’sinese, though?”

“I grew up in Regna Ferox.” He clarified, happy to have avoided some probably disgusting explanation.

“Oh, your parents found a job there, I assume?”

“I’ve been adopted.”

 

A small silence fell between them. But not the simple silence they had shared during their meal. No, that one was pretty awkward. Lon’qu cleared his throat.

 

“Don’t worry about that.”

“No, I’m sorry, really.” She apologised, the look on her face displaying genuine concern “I’ve been too nosy.”

He waved his hand “It’s fine, Robin. Really.”

“If you say so…”

 

She pinched her lips and looked out the window. He resumed drinking his coffee, the spoon twirling being the only sound between the two of them. He didn’t like when people took him and Olivia in pity whenever they said that they were adopted children. That didn’t mean that they had had bad lives. Well, in his case, yes, but Olivia had just been in the system because her mother had given birth anonymously. Nothing tragic about it. Or not that much, at least.

 

“Please don’t treat me differently now you know that.” He said, crossing his arms on the table “I’ve had a happy childhood, and even if I don’t look like my father in any way, I still consider myself a Feroxi.”

“You’re quite the lucky one.” She said with a small smile “I wish I could have had a happy childhood.”

“Well… I don’t know what to answer to that.” He admitted, scratching his neck.

She sighed “There’s nothing to answer to that. My father’s the world champion of the shitty fathers, so sometimes I wish we weren’t blood-related. I wish I could pretend he’s nothing to me.”

“Blood bonds are not the strongest nor the most important, you know?”

She snorted “Sounds odd, coming from the mouth of a Chon’sinese.”

“Feroxi. I’m not familiar with the ethics and culture of Chon’sin. But if there’s something I know about its history, is that adoptions were rather common in the past, lords often adopted children from other families so they could have an heir.”

“So you still know about it, uh?” She teased.

He shrugged “When I was a teenager I was kinda curious about my native country, so I researched it a bit. But that’s all. I don’t feel Chon’sinese at all.”

“I see.”

 

They looked at each other in silence. Then she smirked.

 

“So, about the second base thing…”

 

\--

 

P!nk’s soft voice was resonating in the background, the song about lost childhood lightly muffled by the ruckus the engine made. “Barbies”, if she recalled the name well. Robin had lowered the backrest of her seat at its maximum, so she had space to stretch her legs comfortably. Lon’qu was focused on the road, leaning his arm on the edge of the window. He had a men-in-black vibe when he wore his sunglasses, she thought. He just needed a suit, and the cosplay would be perfect.

 

They had not talked a lot after breakfast. She was glad she had managed to make him explain why he had a Feroxi passport without actually asking him about it, but she had learnt more than she had wanted to. She didn’t know what to do about such information. She recalled that, as a kid, she had wished countless times that she had been someone else’s daughter. That in another life, her mother was alive and well, and that the two of them lived somewhere peaceful, nearby the coast. But no, her life had been filled with bitterness, dirt, sand and lies, it had been bumpy and bloody. If reincarnation truly existed, she wondered what she had done in her previous lives to deserve this. She had had to be _at least_ a vessel for some god of destruction or something of the sort.

 

At least, Lon’qu did not seem to mind about the conversation they had. What had mattered was the bases thing, or at least finding a way to avoid learning what it was. He had asked her to stop talking, to stop explaining; gods, he had almost _begged_ her to stop throwing awful slang terms at him and explaining them. But hey, if he wanted to perfect his Plegian, he had to know some colloquial words and expressions, hadn’t he? She was only being helpful.

 

“Did you change the settings on my phone?” Lon’qu suddenly asked.

Robin snorted, crossing her arms behind her head “It was about time you noticed.”

“How did you unlock it?”

“It wasn’t locked yet when I picked it up.”

 

The hum he let out in response proved he was not totally convinced.

 

“And why this picture, by the way?” He inquired.

“You don’t like it? I can take nudes if you prefer.”

“Robin, can you be serious for half a minute?”

“Nope~” she chirped with a bright smile.

He sighed “Really, why did you do that?”

“It’s a shame that you have a smartphone and all these things you can personalise, and yet you don’t even change the backgrounds!”

“Just do that on your own phone.”

“Dude.” She said with a jaded expression “I don’t have a phone.”

She saw his eyebrow rise behind his glasses when he glanced at her “Really? How come?”

“Lost it.” She shrugged “And I didn’t have enough money to buy another one. Plus it’s not like I had friends or family to contact, anyway.” She tapped her temple “All the numbers I need are stored there, so I just have to borrow a phone if I need to make a call.”

 

Speaking of which, she had to call Henry soon. Once she figured out what to do, how and when. She’d probably need his help sooner or later. She glanced at Lon’qu, who seemed to be staring at her behind his sunglasses before looking back at the road. The less he knew, the safer they were. Both of them.

 

She was used to lying, anyway.

 

Lying was her way to survive, to tangle the threads and make her and her thoughts unreadable, until she lost herself in her own lies too. With the years, she had almost forgotten who she was and what was her purpose. Had she ever had a purpose anyway? Probably not before now. Seeking revenge was most likely not the best life plan, but at least she could go with it for a while. She’d figure out what to do after later, if she ever were to come out of the desert alive.

 

_“What do you mean “you’re leaving”?” Tharja said, her tone low but almost threatening, her brow furrowed ever so faintly._

_“I can’t stay here, I’m only putting you in danger.” Robin replied, giving her bangs a last snap of scissors before turning around to look at her friend. The way she was leaning against the doorframe with her arms crossed indicated that she’d have to be more convincing “How do I look?”_

_“Like someone who’s about to do something extremely stupid.” The woman deadpanned, her gaze unwavering._

_She sighed “Besides stupid?”_

_“The left side is shorter than the right.”_

_Robin turned around, ignoring the stare she was giving her through the mirror “Thank you.”_

_“Take me with you.”_

_“Hell no. You managed to get out of this life, I’m not dragging you back with me.”_

_“And you’re going to take them down on your own? If you want to die in agony, I can help you with that.”_

_Robin sighed and rested her hands on the edge of the washbasin “Tharja, it’s just some personal shit. If I can’t take them down, then I’ll just go straight to my father.”_

_Her friend snorted “You’re stubborn when you want, aren’t you?”_

_Robin smiled brightly at her through the reflection “And so are you.”_

_Tharja pushed herself up from the door and walked to her. She took the scissors from her hands and started cutting the last strands of hair that seemed too out of place. Robin let her do, the snapping of the metal filling the silence that settled between them._

_“Brown hair suits you.” Tharja commented after a while._

_“You think so?”_

_“Yeah. It makes you look livelier, somehow.”_

 

Robin absentmindedly started playing with the ends of a strand of hair, her unfocused gaze lingering on the faraway mountains over the horizon. She didn’t know how she had managed to convince Tharja to not follow her, but she somehow did. With the promise of giving her news from time to time. To at least tell her that she was still alive. She didn’t know if she could keep it, but she’d try to. That’s the least she could do for her, she guessed.

 

\--

 

Lon’qu squinted his eyes when they neared the highway toll. Something was off with it. Proof was, Robin slowed down the car, leaning forward in attempt to see better. All the barriers were down, and the screens above them displaying large red Xs, indicated that they were closed. All. Of. Them. And absolutely no car in sight.

 

“Is that normal…?” He ventured.

“Uh…Nope.” She said, driving closer and parking the car in front of one of the barriers.

 

Both of them got out and checked their surroundings. The toll was entirely closed, apparently. Which was anything but normal, since it was the entrance of the highway. Nothing was in sight, except for the scorching road, the air distorting in waves above it due to the heat. Nothing, except a small prefab on the side, on the parking right after the toll.

 

“Fuck it.” Robin grumbled, and started walking with great determination towards it.

 

Since there was a white van parked right next to it, there was most likely someone inside. Lon’qu followed her, just in case. Robin jogged, for the heat was so unbearable it made her sweat profusely, and they needed to get answers asap. By the time he joined her, she was banging loudly against the door. A man whose height was the same as his size opened it, frowning and grumbling. He eyed Robin from head to toe, his gaze stopping for a second on the shape of her bra, then lifted an eyebrow.

 

“Yeah? Can I help you?” He asked in a dubious tone.

“Why is the road closed?” She asked, putting her hands on her hips.

 

The man blinked, considering for a second that she might be joking, then burst into laughter. A loud, hoarse laughter; the kind of one only people who smoked a pack of cigarettes a day can have. And given his smell, Lon’qu assumed that he smoked at least two. He was stinking sweat, and it almost made the young man feel nauseous. Well, in a place like that, under the burning sun, he had no other choice than to sweat profusely. But really, the large perspiration stains reaching the hem of his tank top were disgusting.

 

“Is this a joke??” He managed between two laughs.

Robin frowned “It’s not.”

He laughed harder, slapping his knee while trying to catch his breath “The highway has been closed three years ago! Did you spend your time in a cave or something??”

“Yeah, something of the sort.” She muttered to herself.

 

Lon’qu put his hands on his hips and sighed.

 

At least now he was getting used to it.

 

\--

 

“Why didn’t you tell me the highway was closed?”

“How was I supposed to know that it was closed??”

“You’ve lived here for five years! Closing the biggest highway of the country to renovate it is something that you must have heard about at least once!”

“And you’re the Plegian here, why wouldn’t _you_ know about it?!”

 

Robin opened her mouth, then closed it without saying anything. Lon’qu lifted an eyebrow at her, visibly puzzled by her lack of come back. She had her reasons… But she couldn’t explain them.

 

_Did you spend your time in a cave or something?_

 

Yeah, pretty much. She cleared her throat and threw her bag on the top bunk bed, and directly made her way to the bathroom. She slammed the door shut, locking Lon’qu away from her sight. She sighed loudly as she sat on the edge of the bathtub, and ran a hand in her hair. Her roots were still drenched in sweat, and it was a matter of hours before it became all greasy. She let her head tilt backwards without making a single effort to hold it, and stretched her legs in front of her. The highway was closed. And she didn’t know about it. The only decent way of transportation available throughout the desert, closed? What the hell was that? Why did they have to close it _entirely_ for renovations, while they could have done it just bit by bit?

 

“Guess I’ll have to call sooner than expected…” she mumbled to herself.

 

With a tired sigh, she bent backwards and turned the water on. A bath would do her some good. Once relaxed, she could think rationally and come up with a good plan.

 

\--

 

Lon’qu lied down on the lower bunk bed with a sigh of relief. He lazily stretched, feeling his spine crack in the process, then relaxed, burying his head into the pillow. He hated the heat in Plegia, but the burning concrete at the highway toll had killed him for good. It was his first summer without going back to Regna Ferox and he already regretted it; he missed the winter’s heavy snows and the fresh air of the sunny days. Honestly, he would have gladly come back if he didn’t have a mission. Sort of. He snorted at the word. Yeah, maybe he was going to play the super hero, maybe he would just come back empty-handed.

 

He pulled his phone out of his pocket and opened his gallery. He scrolled through the pictures – rolling his eyes at the ones Robin had taken the night before – until he reached the bottom of the list and clicked on the one he wanted.

 

Despite having been scanned, the photo was still in a bad shape, with missing bits and faded parts. It was the only picture he had from his past, before he became Lon’qu Artemiev. When he still was just Lon’qu.

It was one of those rare times the caretakers at the orphanage had managed to draw a smile out of him. A shy one, that barely dared to stretch his lips, such a timid smile compared to her large grin. Both of them had missing teeth. They were barely six. She was his only friend, the only one who had managed to climb up his walls to peek inside and hold a hand out to him.

 

Ke’ri had been his sunlight, when all he could do was crawl in the shadows. A light that had stopped shining too soon, too abruptly, leaving him in a complete darkness.

 

Lon’qu closed his eyes and inhaled deeply and slowly to keep his composure.

 

He locked the phone and placed the device screen down on the mattress, next to his pillow. He was a mess. This whole idea was a mess, this whole trip was a mess, damn, even his travelling partner was one hell of a mess!

 

But he needed answers.

He needed justice.

He needed the truth, or else he would spend the rest of his life with regrets and doubts gnawing at him like a never ending nightmare. Why and how he had ended up living such a life, it never made sense to him; he had had the chance to have found a family who loved him, and he had never been so proud to call himself a Feroxi. Chon’sin had nothing of a home.

 

And to finally find peace, he had to know what happened.

And for that, he needed to go to Ylisse.

That was all that mattered.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She observed the girls more closely. Intentionally or not, they all at some point looked in the same direction. Robin lifted her head and noticed a man sitting at a window further down the street, his arms crossed on the ledge. Their pimp. He was preying on them and checking if they did their job. Robin shook her head and changed streets. The less crowded, darker ones were more appropriate for this kind of job. Either that dude was new in the trade, or he was dumb.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy belated new year everyone!! Welcome to the newest readers and thank you for your comments, you guys are the ones proving that this fic is worth writing <3
> 
> If you have any suggestions or comments, please share! You can also reach me on TRCelyneart on tumblr!

Lon’qu found Robin sitting at a table at the reception the following morning, sipping water from a bottle she had bought at a vending machine nearby. Her eyes were glued to the TV on the wall, and she had an unusual stern look on her face. He stretched his arms and sat in front of her in silence, checking the screen out.

 

_…the victims, twin brothers, were found yesterday. According to the police, it seems to be a setting of scores between them, without any external intervention._

 

Pictures of identical twins, who seemed to already have a heavy criminal record, were displayed on the news. He had missed part of the announcement, but apparently there had been some murder case at the gates of the desert, near the mountain chain that separated it from the coast. And Robin was still silent.

 

“How come you’re up so early?” He finally said to break the ice.

“Couldn’t sleep.” She mumbled almost curtly.

“It’s been three days, you know. Plus you’re driving all day long, shouldn’t you rest more?”

“How about you cut me some slack and let me be?” She grunted.

 

He lifted an eyebrow, puzzled by her aggressiveness. When the presenter went on to another announcement, she sighed and sipped more water. He watched her silently, and she frowned at him while she drank. She capped the bottle and licked her lips.

 

“What?”

“It’s strange to see you in such a grumpy mood.” He commented.

She snorted “Want me to flirt with you instead?”

He frowned “I’ll be fine.”

“Anyway.” She said, slouching on her chair and crossing her arms “I have a friend who lives not too far. I thought I should pay him a visit, ‘cause I haven’t seen him in ages. At least we won’t have to pay for a room for a night.”

“You have friends?” He deadpanned.

She stuck her tongue out at him “I do, and I probably have more than you. Do you mind if I use your phone to call him, by the way?”

“Do I have the choice?”

“Not really.”

 

He lifted his arms high above his head, stretching slowly before letting them fall to his sides with a long exhale. Motel beds truly had not the best mattresses of the country. At least the places they had slept in until now had been clean. He noticed that she was staring at him impatiently. He lifted a quizzical eyebrow at her.

 

“Yes?”

“I’m waiting for your phone?” She said, a bit confused and annoyed.

“Oh, my bad.” He fetched the device in his pocket and held it out to her “There.”

She took it as she stood up “Thanks. You ready to leave? My call won’t be long, I think we should leave right after.”

“Sure, we just have to load the car.”

 

She hummed as a way to tell him she had heard him, already focused on the screen of his phone. She smiled faintly – most likely at the stupid picture she had put on the lockscreen – and tapped on it to unlock it. As soon as she- _wait_.

 

“I thought you said that you didn’t know the password yesterday.” He said sternly, frowning.

Robin froze on spot, then gave him a forced smile “I… might have seen you input it before.”

 

Lon’qu crossed his arms, his frown heightening. She rolled her eyes with a groan, her shoulders slumping dramatically.

 

“Come _on_ Lon’qu it’s not like you had anything to hide.”

“What if I had?”

She huffed, lifting an eyebrow in amusement “Well then, I guess I’ll figure it out soon.”

He sighed “Just go make your phone call already.”

 

\--

 

Dear Naga, that had been close. As soon as Robin got out of the reception, she sighed in relief and walked behind the building, where she would be sure nobody could see or hear her. Not that the place was crowded anyway, but still. She had just let a mistake slip out, it wasn’t time to let the blunders pile up or else she would be compromised. Victor and Vincent had been found out. The police thought it was just a quarrel between drug dealers that had turned nasty, but how long would it take until they figured something was off with their deaths?

 

Instinctively, Robin wiped her hands one after the other on her strap top as she inhaled deeply. She had to be more careful from now on. Her eyes fell on the white device in her right hand. Having her own phone would be too dangerous. And too expensive anyway. She was running low on money. That goddamn car ate gallons of gas at an ungodly speed, and she couldn’t ask Lon’qu to pay for it. He was a college student in Plegia. Only rich kids or people who were willing to pay for the rest of their lives went to university. Her sense of good and bad might have been twisted, she still had respect for the ones who tried their best to build themselves a future in this fucking country. She new that she had already had similar thoughts before but…maybe… maybe Ylisse had opportunities to offer her. After all of this mess would be taken care of. She’d make sure her father wouldn’t harm anyone anymore.

 

Robin shook her head, sweat already sticking her bangs to her forehead. Was it from the heat or from her nervousness, she didn’t know. What she did know was that if she wanted to have a chance at building a future out of that godforsaken desert, she had to ask for help. She unlocked Lon’qu’s phone again and entered the number. It was only when she heard the distinctive beeps that she realised that maybe, after all these years, Henry had changed numbers. She bit her lower lip and crossed her fingers with her free hand, whispering prayers.

 

“ _You reached The Crow! What can I do for you~?_ ” a voice sing-sung as soon as the call got connected.

“…Henry?” Robin tried hesitantly. His voice was quite the same as she remembered it, but she had to be sure.

_“…Robin? Is that you?”_

She made a small thank-you gesture towards the sky before sighing in relief “Oh my _gods_ I’m so relieved to hear your voice! I was scared for a minute that the shop had closed!”

Henry’s signature laugh came through the phone “ _My shop? Closed? It’s running like never! But let’s get to the important stuff: how come you’re calling me? They let you make calls now?”_

She chewed on her lower lip, tracing random patterns on the dirt with the tip of her shoe “Uh… Let’s say I might have…Taken some vacations.”

A long silence followed, and she was about to ask if he was still there when he burst into a loud fit of laughter, making her wince and move the phone away from her ear _“This is SO you oh my gods!! Of course you did!! They would have never let you out, not this soon!”_

She chuckled awkwardly “Yeah, that’s kind of the problem. I need your help.”

_“I’m always in to help you, birdie. Where are you?”_

“In some random motel. I’m like, a few hours away from your place. Do you mind if I drop by for a couple of nights? I’ll leave a soon as possible so you’re not in danger. Are you still in contact with Gaius?”

_“I can find a way to reach him, yeah. And you’re obviously always welcome. What do you need from him?”_

“Papers. And a laptop. A gun too, if he can get his hands on one.”

_“Understood. At what time should I expect you?”_

“During the afternoon I think.” She exhaled in relief and pinched the bridge of her nose “You have no idea of how glad I am to hear your voice.”

 _“I’m glad to see that you’re alive and well.”_ He replied, his tone soft.

She snorted “Maybe not for long.”

He chuckled _“Well, let’s try to make it last, shall we?”_

“Yeah…” She looked around, although there was nothing in sight but the empty land stretching in front of her eyes, then spoke again “Well then, I’ll get going. The address is still the same?”

_“Yup.”_

“Okay. I’ll tell you when we’re there.”

_“Got it, birdie. See you later!”_

“See you.”

 

Robin hung up and sighed in relief. One thing done. If Henry managed to get in touch with Gaius, she’d probably need more money to pay for what she requested. Maybe a couple of pastries could make it easier… She shook her head and walked back to the front of the motel, wincing when the sunlight directly hit her face. She quickly fished her glasses hanging on her tank top and put them on. The car was empty. Lon’qu was probably waiting for her inside. She pushed the door of their room open and found him lying on the bottom bed, his arms crossed under his head and his gaze lost.

 

“Wake up, Sleeping Beauty, we’re off!” She chirped.

 

\--

 

So Robin had managed to contact her friend. As soon as she had come back in their room, he had felt her in a better mood. He didn’t know why she had been so grumpy in the first place, so he assumed that it was due to her lack of sleep. He was always in a terrible mood whenever it was finals week, and most of the time people avoided him as if a dark aura emanated from him. Only Cordelia had managed to get past the layers of grumpiness so far, her warm arms wrapping around his shoulders and the softness of her skin under his cheek easing his nerves a little. Olivia also had a soothing effect on him. Most of the time, watching her dance was enough to let go of his bad thoughts.

 

He was somewhat relieved that Robin was now dozing off on the passenger seat, her temple pressed against the warm window. Her sunglasses were askew. She was frowning faintly in her sleep, although he couldn’t say she was having a bad dream. At least she was getting some rest, and the more she slept, the less she was telling him inanities.

 

The road stretched again and again in front of him. The desert was so repetitive. The west mountain chain had disappeared from the horizon a long time ago, and without any high point that could serve to find his bearings, he felt a little lost. But they didn’t cross other roads that often, so he didn’t really have to worry about mistaking paths. P!nk was playing at a low volume, just enough for him to hear her voice above the roaring of the dying engine. Robin had said they’d reach her friend’s house during the afternoon; he honestly wondered what kind of friends she could have. He hoped they were not as flirty as her. Handling her was a thing; handling two Robin-like people would be Hell. He’d rather walk alone in the desert again.

 

The woman shifted in her sleep, cutting his train of thought. She inhaled deeply, then sighed the second after, wriggling around so the back of her head was now against the window. She mumbled something that sounded like a name, one that he had never heard her say before. Not that he recalled her talking about anyone she knew before. She frowned more, tensing up. Lon’qu stayed focused on the road, but still glanced at her from time to time. She really needed to get a good night’s sleep. Napping irregularly wouldn’t help her in any way.

 

Robin groaned, her breath getting shorter. Lon’qu slowed the car down and parked on the side of the road. He gently shook her shoulder, hoping she wouldn’t get startled. It failed, for she jumped awake and banged her head on the window in the process. She whined and curled up on the seat, holding her aching skull with both hands.

 

“What the fuck Lon’qu?!”

He bit his lower lip, genuinely sorry “I apologise, I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“Why did you wake me up?”

“You were having a bad dream.”

She lifted her head, rubbing its back with a hand and wincing in pain “Well, that’s not new. You didn’t have to wake me for that.”

 

Lon’qu leaned closer with a frown. She tensed up, leaning back until her back bumped against the door. He took her glasses off, revealing her surprised chocolate eyes. And the _very_ dark circles under them. He mentally reviewed the different medicine without prescription for sleep that he had taken throughout his life, wondering which brand could be found in Plegia and if any of them would have some kind of effect on her. Maybe if-

 

“Uuh… Lon’qu? Are you okay?” She asked, one of her eyebrows lifting almost comically too high.

He leaned back “I am. I was wondering if some plant-based medicine would help you sleep.”

She grinned “Some Chon’sinese magic remedy your grandma taught you?”

He rolled his eyes “I don’t even know who my biological parents were, idiot.”

She sat up properly and rubbed her head again “Well, maybe it’d work, but I doubt it. My brain is quite the bitch.” She winced again “And unbreakable, apparently.”

 

Lon’qu faced her and slipped his hands in her messy hair, his fingers brushing against hers in the process. She blinked in confusion, but he ignored her stare. Instead, he focused on what he knew to ease the pain; he deftly pressed his fingertips on her scalp, massaging the sore part slowly. With Olivia’s clumsiness and her occasional practice injuries, he had learnt how to temporarily soothe pain until it passed or got taken care of. Robin closed her eyes, letting him do. Her shoulders relaxed, her hands dropping on her lap, and she sighed faintly.

 

“Can’t keep your hands off me, in the end…” She mumbled.

He rolled his eyes “I’m just trying to help.”

“And you’re doing great.” She hummed, her eyes still closed “You do wonders with your hands.”

“I guess.” He simply replied, ignoring the double-meaning.

“Oh, yes, right there” she half-moaned.

 

He jumped away from her with a barely concealed Feroxi curse, and she burst into a loud laughter, almost bumping her head against the window again when she tilted it back. She cackled like a goose for the next five minutes.

 

\--

 

The town was exactly like she remembered. It was like it had been frozen in time – although frozen was far from being an accurate word to talk about the Plegian desert – and nothing had changed in the past few years. For their safety and discretion, Robin had decided to park the car a few streets further, to avoid being seen around Henry’s shop. Lon’qu didn’t comment on it. They emptied the trunk and walked down the street in silence.

 

The Crow had never been known for its sobriety. Although she had never seen people inside the shop, Henry claimed he actually had a lot of customers. And given the weird mixtures and potions he sold, she wasn’t sure she wanted to know their effects and purposes. She liked to consider him an herbalist, some sort of modern apothecary with an almost too wide smile and a bloodcurling gaze. But he had also a good heart, and even if his methods were odd, he wanted to help his neighbour the best way he could. Well, she was fairly sure he knew how to cast spells and stuff, but she had never dared to ask.

 

When she pushed the door of the shop open, a small bell clinked. Her sense of smell was instantly overwhelmed by strong scents of plants, stacked here and there in mismatched pots and drawers. There were also several kinds of stones, some dried fruits and small animals, and she _hoped_ that weird unidentified thing in that jar on her left was not an insect. Lon’qu coughed behind her, clearing his throat in attempt to chase the strong mix of smells. It was not unpleasant in itself, just… invading.

 

“Coming~” a voice sung from the backroom. Henry emerged from the open door behind the counter, smiling brightly at them “Welcome to the Crow, may I help you with someth-“ His words died in his throat, his eyes widening in disbelief “…Robin?”

She waved at him with a smile “ ‘sup! It’s been ages!”

 

The shopkeeper instantly walked around the counter and caught her in his arms, squeezing her tight against his chest. She wrapped her arms around him and rubbed her face against his heart. He still had this soothing smell that matched the general atmosphere of the store. It felt nice. He hadn’t changed; his hair still as white as a Plegians’ could be, neatly cut, his red eyes still piercing, his way of dressing still simple and contrasting with the organised mess the shop was.

 

He let her go after a few seconds, and twisted a strand of her hair in his fingers “What have you done to your hair? I almost didn’t recognise you!”

She shrugged “I just needed a fresh hairstyle.”

“It suits you.” He said, then his eyes drifted to Lon’qu “My apologies Sir, I-“ he instantly made a face “Crap, a Chon’sinese. I don’t speak a word of it.”

Lon’qu waved his hand, unfazed “I speak Plegian.”

Robin patted Henry’s shoulder “He’s my travelling buddy, actually.” She turned around and gestured between them “Henry, Lon’qu. Lon’qu, Henry, an old friend of mine.”

“Excuse me, did I hear _travelling buddy_?” Henry snorted, although he held his hand out to Lon’qu “Pleased to meet you.”

Robin crossed her arms with a smile while the two men shook hands “The poor thing would have died of dehydration if I hadn’t helped him. He was walking on the side of the road in broad daylight, I couldn’t leave him there.”

“Beginner’s mistake.” Henry chuckled, then gestured at the room at the end of the shop “Let’s got get you settled then.”

 

Henry closed the shop to show them the place. The shop part of the building was at the front, with a backroom on the side for his stock. The door they went through, which was at the back of the shop, directly led to a living room. The furniture was old-fashioned, with a faded red leather couch at its center, a small coffee table, a low console on which a flat screen TV was set. Bookshelves flowered the walls, whose wallpapers had half disappeared with time. It looked like he had settled in without bothering renovating the place. A small kitchenette was at the end of the room, a small counter separating it from the rest. A door right next to it gave onto a garden – or some patch of dirt with trees – while two others, on each side of the TV, gave respectively onto a bathroom and a bedroom.

 

“I didn’t expect you to show up accompanied” Henry explained “So we’ll have to decide who sleeps where.” He turned around and pointed at Robin “Except you. You sleep in my room, no discussions.”

She seemed surprised “Uh? Why??”

He frowned “Because the bags under your eyes are actually suitcases. I’m sure even Tharja looks more well-rested than you. I got a brand new mattress a couple of months ago, and you’re going to sleep on it, no discussions.”

“Fine.” She pouted.

 

She followed behind Lon’qu as Henry showed him the place, since she already knew her way around. The smell of plants was less strong there, replaced with the scent of spices coming from the kitchen part of the main room. As they walked in front of the bookshelves, Lon’qu glanced at the works crowding them; they were of all kinds and genres, from botany to novels by way of dark magic books. On one of them, he noticed a framed photo which caught his attention. It showed a Plegian woman, with long white hair, sitting upright in a hospital bed, smiling widely at the camera. A baby, who might not have been more than a few days old, was sleeping soundly in her arms. He couldn’t see the child’s features, except for dark brown strands of hair on their tiny head. The woman was Robin’s spitting image… He concluded, from both mother and child’s hair colours, that she was her mother. Henry called him and he walked quicker to catch up with him. He didn’t notice Robin silently staring at the picture before pulling the frame down the second after.

 

“Henry, can I use the phone? I have to tell Tharja that I’m alive.” She asked.

He turned around, and gestured towards the shop “Sure. It’s on the counter.”

 

She thanked him and left the living room, while Henry walked to the garden with Lon’qu on his heels. As expected, he did not see a single blade of grass there, only dirt and dry bushes. He had grabbed on his way there a plastic bucket full of vegetable and fruit peels from the kitchen, and directly walked to the large aviary at the end of the parcel. Several crows were gathered there, and started croaking happily as soon as they came closer. Henry went in, and dumped the contents of his bucket in the feeders, before checking the levels of the water displayers. One of the birds landed on his shoulder, and he patted its head with a small smile.

 

“I’m keeping these crows in until they heal properly.” He explained as he got out of the aviary “All of them have been injured one way or another. Although I’m no vet, I do my best to help these poor creatures. I release them when I think they can manage on their own again.”

“That’s pretty cool.” Lon’qu said matter-of-factly.

 

Henry told him about the existence of a cat, which actually showed up only at night to be fed and pet. When they went back inside, Lon’qu heard Robin apologising in the distance over the phone. He didn’t know who Tharja was, but she seemed to be dangerous enough for her to speak in a very quiet voice, like a child being scolded. Henry offered him a cup of coffee, which he accepted gladly. Both of them were waiting for the brewer to do its job when she came back from the shop.

 

“Gods, I thought she was going to strangle me over the phone.” She sighed.

“Well, now she knows you’re safe and sound.” Henry chuckled. He then gasped, as if he had suddenly remembered something “Oh, by the way, Gaius told me he needs ID pictures.”

She blinked “Oh, okay then. Maybe I should do that right away then.”

“There’s a supermarket a couple of blocks away, they have a photo booth.”

She slipped her fingers in the tiny pockets of her shorts, making a face as she tried to grab its contents, then pulled out a bill “There! I should have enough.”

 

Henry walked back to the shop, snatching the crumbled bill from her hands to give her some change instead. The bell clinked a minute after, and soon silence fell on the place. Lon’qu grabbed the two cups of coffee and brought them to the shop. Henry was rearranging the shelves’ contents, humming to himself. Without looking at him, he asked him to bring the spare chair that was in the backroom. Lon’qu did so, and soon the both of them were sitting at the counter.

 

“So-“ Henry started after a while, replying to his emails “What brings you to the Plegian desert?”

“I’m going to Ylisse.” He answered.

He chuckled “On foot? Robin said she picked you up.”

“I was planning to take the bus, actually.”

Henry sighed “Oh, the buses. Now I get it. Since Grangrel has become the president, his only focus is the coast and hating Ylisseans.”

Lon’qu smiled faintly “Yeah.”

“Why are you going to Ylisse though? Vacations?”

“…Let’s say that.”

 

Henry seemed surprised by his hesitation, for he turned to look at him. In the end, he didn’t comment and focused back on his work. Lon’qu sighed and leaned against the backrest of his chair. The calmness was welcome. Even Robin had seemed calmer since they had arrived, her attitude had shifted the very second they had stepped in.

 

“Robin seems different around you.” He eventually said. He didn’t even know why he had commented on it. He usually wasn’t talkative.

“What do you mean by different?” Henry asked.

“She’s calmer around you. And less flirty, also.”

The man burst into laughter “Oh, right! You’ve witnessed her flirting!!”

Lon’qu winced “How did you make it stop?”

He stood up and went to pick some papers her had printed in the backroom “Well, we’ve known each other since we were teens, so we’re a bit like brother and sister. And she knows that flirting is pointless with me, for I’m not into people.”

He crossed his arms with a grunt “I never mentioned being into girls.”

“If you mentioned an ex by accident or watched a girl on the street, then you can be sure she knows.”

 

Lon’qu rolled his eyes. Next time he’ll keep his past with Cordelia to himself. The bell clinked and a customer entered the shop. Henry welcomed them brightly and let them wander around to check the shelves.

 

“By the way, Lon’qu, can you do me a favour?” He said in a low voice “The fridge is almost empty. Do you mind buying some groceries for dinner? I’ll give you money.”

There was no way to ask Robin to do it while she was at the supermarket, so he nodded “Sure.”

 

The man gave him a quickly scribbled list and a few bills. When he left the whop, the customer was not gone yet, and Robin was not back. Maybe they’d meet on his way there.

 

\--

 

Robin couldn’t help but wince in disgust when she picked the pictures from the booth. She hated ID pictures. But she didn’t have enough money to do another series. She’d make do with those ones. She slipped them in her back pocket and started making her way back. She opted for a small detour instead of directly going back to Henry’s place, checking the streets absentmindedly. The city was as busy as she remembered, dirty and forgotten by the higher places. Some people like Henry managed to make a living, others did not have this chance. She spotted a group of five girls dressed lightly on one of the biggest streets, waiting patiently for clients. One of them didn’t even seem to be eighteen yet. Her stomach twisted in pity. But well, that was the sad ending of many Plegian lives. The desert was a trap, the coast a dream.

 

On a more technical approach, she wondered if enticing men on a big street was really effective. No one would want to be seen in public with a prostitute. Unless…

 

She observed the girls more closely. Intentionally or not, they all at some point looked in the same direction. Robin lifted her head and noticed a man sitting at a window further down the street, his arms crossed on the ledge. Their pimp. He was preying on them and checking if they did their job. Robin shook her head and changed streets. The less crowded, darker ones were more appropriate for this kind of job. Either that dude was new in the trade, or he was dumb.

 

In the end, she walked back to the shop. Henry was on the phone, but Lon’qu was nowhere to be seen. She sat next to her friend and waited until he was done with his call. As soon as he hung up, he turned to her with a smile.

 

“Where’s Lon’qu?” She asked.

“We need groceries, and I can’t leave the shop unattended.”

She slumped in the chair, crossing her arms on her stomach, looking at the ceiling “I have to leave early tomorrow morning.”

“By early, how early do you mean?”

“I’m thinking about leaving at four or five. I should be back by nine.” She grabbed the pictures in her pocket and dropped them on the counter “This is for Gaius, by the way. How much does he want?”

“Five hundred.”

She made a face “Urgh, five hundred?”

“For papers, a laptop and a gun, that sounds pretty cheap.”

“Yeah, I just don’t have the money.”

“I can lend some to you.”

She shook her head “No. That’s the reason why I’m off tomorrow morning. I stashed some in the desert, in case it might come in handy someday.”

“Always foresighted, uh?” Henry chuckled.

She shrugged “I wasn’t planning to spend the rest of my life rotting there, you know.”

He stared at her for a few seconds, until he spoke again with a more serious tone “Why is this guy with you? You met him there?”

She shook her head “No. He’s just a heartbroken university student who decided to chase after his Ylissean ex.”

“It’s not your type do drag innocents in your shenanigans.”

Robin stayed silent a few seconds “He’s the first normal person I’ve met in ages. I couldn’t leave him there. It all came from an altruistic need?” She huffed when Henry snorted next to her “Fine, also because he’s hot and I haven’t had a good dicking in ages. We’re working on it.”

“Weren’t there girls with you…though?” he asked hesitantly.

“There were yeah. It was fun and all, but I haven’t touched a guy in a while.” She chuckled “I love embarrassing him, he’s so fun to tease!”

“Is that all, though?”

 

They stared at each other for a few seconds, until she sighed and looked at the ceiling again.

 

“He’s my alibi. I look less suspicious with him around me. I’m also using his name for motel check-ins. That’s why I want those papers asap. I don’t want him to start having doubts. He can’t be dragged in all my shit.”

Henry stood from his chair to lean against the counter to face her, his arms crossed “What’s your plan, anyway?”

“I… For a few days I thought I could just vanish in the desert. But when I showed up at Tharja’s place, I discovered that Vincent and Victor had found her again. So-“

“So you took the matter in your own hands, uh? I saw the news.”

“Yeah. And then I realised that the world would do better without the Grimleal. So I’m thinking about getting rid of my father.”

“And what about your-“

“Please don’t say it.” She cut him with a whisper.

 

Henry stayed silent for half a minute, watching her taking deep breaths to keep her tears at bay. Eventually, he sighed, his head tilting down dramatically.

 

“Robin, Validar didn’t kill him.”

She instantly sprung up from her chair, her hands catching his shirt to ground herself, her voice strangled “What?!”

 

He caught her hands with great gentleness, waiting for her to let go of him. He pulled her closer and wrapped his arms around her. She was petrified. Her hands and legs trembled, barely able to keep her upright. She managed to blink back her tears, but couldn’t prevent her throat from tightening.

 

“You’re… you’re not lying, aren’t you?”

He rested his cheek on her hair “Well, I haven’t had news in a long time, but according to Gaius, he still is.” He chuckled “I guess this turns your vengeance into a rescue mission?”

She snuggled closer, whispering “Yes…Yes. I can’t let him live this life.”

 

This was the biggest blow to her resolve. It calmed her wrath, turning it into a feeling of urgency that she had a hard time controlling. She always managed to keep a cool head, but the news had the effect of a bomb on her. It changed her perspective. A rescue mission… Yes, that was what it was going to be. She’d rescue him and take out that goddamn traffic network once and for all. And they would be happy, together. In Ylisse, maybe.

 

For her who could predict any move from her father, this kind of miracle was something she had not even dared to hope for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Henry's there and Robin's past darkens :DD


End file.
